Latin America consists of the entire western hemisphere, south of the United States encompassing all the countries between Mexico and Argentina. Until 1807, these were all colonies governed by Spain, Portugal and France. The major liberators of Latin America were Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin. This Independence Movement was influenced by the new ideas of Europe's Age of Enlightenment, which introduced ideas such as limiting the power of monarchs, and also was probably influenced by the American and French Revolution.
The first attempt at Independence occurred in Venezuela where Francisco de Miranda, launched an invasion into the Spanish colony, which turned out to be useless as it was easily crushed by the powerful Spanish army. Then in 1810 after King Ferdinand of Spain was taken off the throne Venezuela declared its Independence. .
Simon Bolivar was born in 1783 in Caracas, Venezuela. He was a South American revolutionary, military leader, and politician known as the Liberator for his leading role in the wars of Spanish American Independence (Kinsbruner). At this time Simon Bolivar went to London and brought back Miranda who would be in charge of the Independence Movement. Venezuela's Independence would only last for about a year, until royal (Spain) forces came in and destroyed Miranda's forces. Bolivar fled to New Granada (present-day Colombia) west of Venezuela. In 1813 Bolivar took an army into Venezuela and entered the capital, Caracas, victorious. He set up the second independence of Venezuela and made himself dictator. Soon less than a year later, Venezuela became once again a Spanish Royal Colony after Bolivar was defeated. He fled once again to New Granada. At that time King Ferdinand was restored on the throne and Simon Bolivar was forced to flee to Jamaica. He received help from Haiti, which had won its independence a decade earlier. With help from Haiti he attacked the Spanish in Venezuela, which ended in a disaster for Bolivar.