The independence of Latin America It was due to internal and external causes. There was a series of armed conflicts in each town in Latin America, which had a single objective, the independence of each town .
Causes of the independence movement in the Spanish colonies
When in Europe the fire of the Revolution seemed to wane, an action began in the Spanish colonies of America demanding their independence from Spain. The essential cause of this process was the inability of the metropolis to meet the demands for administrative reform, social and political renewal, and economic expansion of its colonies. The same feeling of protest against the ineptitude of ministerial despotism that broke out in Spain in 1808 against Carlos IV, caused the separation of the American countries.
Other causes were internal and external. Among those of this type are the spread of encyclopedic ideals, the example of the United States of America, and England's desire to break the Spanish colonial monopoly in South America. Among the internal causes is the development of the social power of the Creoles (white Americans), who also aspired to possess political power. In any case, the triumph of Independence is based on the weakness of the metropolis, invaded by Napoleon's troops or subject to serious internal political struggles.
Actions of the precursors in the Independence of Latin America
Among the criollos residing in the main colonial cities there was a certain revolutionary agitation after 1780. It was fostered and maintained by ideologues such as Antonio Nariño , Colombian, propagator of the political doctrines of the French encyclopedists . Such agitation translated into a series of hand strikes and isolated conjurations. The most important was that of the Comuneros de Socorro , which broke out in New Granada in 1781.
The first South American who tried to unite all the efforts of the separatists in a common action was Francisco Miranda (1756-1816), Venezuelan, native of Caracas, fought against the English in North America and was a Girondist general in France. From London, where he had his headquarters, he arranged a landing in his homeland, with the support of England and the United States. He failed in Ocumare and Vela de Coro (1805), but he returned to London with new arrests to further his cause.
The uprisings of 1810
The work of Miranda and his companions, as well as that of the Creole liberals, had the opportunity to manifest itself in 1810, when the government of the metropolis was forced to take refuge in Cádiz before the impetus of the Napoleonic armies . Already since 1808 the separatist attitude had manifested itself in the act of claiming American Government Juntas; well, in 1810 they were imposed everywhere, with the purpose of seizing power and then proceeding to the proclamation of Independence.
In Buenos Aires, the revolutionaries imposed the Junta after the day of May 25, 1810. In Santiago de Chile, the Creoles, following the example of the people of Buenos Aires, imposed their cause on June 11 and September 18. In Caracas the revolution had already broken out, successfully, in the days of April 18 and 19, and Bogotá had followed suit on July 20. On the other hand, in Mexico, the priest Hidalgo rose in Dolores (September 16) and with an army of Indians he went against the capital; his defeat and his execution did not paralyze the Mexican separatist action, which found another caudillo in Morelos.
Fights between Spaniards and separatists
Against the Americans who advocated the independence of the colonies, others declared their fidelity to the monarchy and grouped themselves around the Spanish authorities. Above all, they were rustic proprietors, owners of large estates in Mexico and Peru. Thanks to his help, the viceroys had some forces to fight the patriots. Between 1810 and 1816 Spain managed to almost completely reduce the separatist movement. Thus in Mexico, the royalists, led by Itúrbide, defeated Morelos, took him prisoner in Tezmalaca and shot him in 1815.
In South America, the defense of the rights of the Spanish crown was carried out by Viceroy Abascal. He kept the viceroyalty of Peru in peace, and from this redoubt he organized and sent armies against the rebels, who, in turn, fought each other in bitter internal struggles. The independence movement in Chile was put down in 1815 , after the victory of Cancha Rayada (1814) that put an end to the period called Patria Vieja . In New Granada the royalists seized Quito in 1814 and prepared the success of the expedition of the Spanish general Morillo, who conquered Cartagena in 1815 and Bogotá in 1816. Meanwhile, in Venezuela the Spanishists, commanded by Boves, had put an end to the war to the death and expelled Bolívar and his supporters from the country, after inflicting some severe defeats on them that spread discouragement in their ranks.
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In Argentina, despite internal struggles and defeats at the borders, the patriots had managed to stay in power. In 1816 they proclaimed the country's independence . The following year, General José de San Martín (1778-1850), who after a brilliant military career in Spain had embraced the American cause, undertook, in agreement with the Argentine government and with the support of Chilean émigrés (such as Bernardo O'Higgins) an expedition to liberate Chile. Starting from Córdoba, he crossed the Andes and, taking the few Spanish forces by surprise, defeated them at Chacabuco . This battle and that of Maipú (1818) made Chile's independence effective. Encouraged by these successes, San Martín led his army to Peru , and entered Lima in 1821. But the Spanish army remained here on the Peruvian-Bolivian plateau.
Meanwhile, another American general was achieving no lesser triumphs. Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), a native of Caracas, had fought for the independence of America since 1810. He was the one who led the war to the death in Venezuela. , which ended with his failure in 1814. After other attempts, all unsuccessful, he managed to form a government on the plains of the Orinoco, in Angostura (1817). From here he undertook the great campaigns for his liberation. In 1819 he crossed the Andes, defeated the royalists in Boyacá and, conquering Bogotá, gave Colombia independence . Two years later he renewed this great triumph by obtaining the victory in Carabobo, which Caracas gave him. Venezuela could be independent.
All that remained was to reduce the Spanish nuclei of Quito and Peru. In the Guayaquil interview (1822), Bolívar obtained from San Martín that he leave the field free. Later, his lieutenant Sucre (1795-1830), a brave soldier, won Pichincha and gave Quito its independence (1822). In 1824, in full disintegration of the last Spanish army in America, Bolívar obtained new laurels in Junín. The following year, Sucre surrounded and obtained the surrender of the Spanish in the decisive battle of Ayacucho.
The new states in his internal and external life
The independence of the States of Spanish America was premature. This fact explains the chaos in which they fell after achieving it.
The new South American democracies became the arena for adventurers and soldiers of fortune. Caudillismo, the great evil of this period, was nonetheless a remedy to prepare for the advent of less abnormal regimes.
The support of England and the United States was decisive in the struggle of the former Spanish colonies for their independence. President Monroe proclaimed the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, against any European intervention in America of a colonizing or imperialist type; in 1825 the English minister Canning recognized the full sovereignty of the Hispanic-American nations.
The independent Hispano-American States
The independence of Mexico was achieved in 1821 by the agreement between General Itúrbide and the separatists (Iguala plan). The former proclaimed himself emperor (Agustin I), but was soon overthrown from power, which was fiercely disputed between the unitaries (conservatives) and the federalists (democrats). The country lived in a regime of successive coups d'état. The only politician who stood out was General Santa Anna. During these struggles, the States of the Central American Confederation (1823) were separated from Mexico, which in turn were fragmented into the current republics of Guatemala, Honduras, San Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
The ideals of a great South American Republic, supported by Bolívar, were undone before his death. Gran Colombia disintegrated (1830) into the States of Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, which fell prey to a terrible political anarchy. The same thing happened in Peru and Bolivia. This republic was a creation of Sucre.
Chile also experienced civil struggles between pipiólos (liberals) and pelucones (conservatives). As for the former viceroyalty of Plata, it gave rise to three independent states:Paraguay (since 1811), Uruguay (since 1828) and Argentina (since 1816). In this new nation, the struggle between the porteños (liberals) and the provincials (conservatives) was unleashed. During a long period (1829-1852) General Rosas imposed his dictatorship, who managed to somewhat stabilize public power, despite the shortcomings of his government. Brazil acquired its independence peacefully in 1825, under the government of Emperor Pedro I of Braganza.