History Minute: Venezuela |
Venezuela is a land of 28 million people, rich in resources but deep in poverty. It has a long history but faces many challenges.
The country has been inhabited for 15,000 years. Christopher Columbus briefly explored its coastline in 1498, and Spanish colonization began in 1502. Like other Spanish colonies, it was under the dictatorial control of the king for centuries. When the Napoleonic Wars erupted across Europe in the early 1800s, the people of South America saw an opportunity to break away.
Simon Bolivar became a pivotal figure for South America. He rallied the people against Spain, calling for independence and leading the fight in the field against the Spanish army. In 1811 and 1813, colonists briefly wrested away control from Spain, only to lose it again shortly afterward. After these stinging defeats, Bolivar fell back and issued the "Jamaica Letter" in 1815, calling for the people to continue the fight. Jungle battles and mass uprisings would become a common feature of Venezuelan history. Bolivar declared that Spain's policies had prevented the colonies from developing their own economies, blocked trade with each other, and prevented the people from having any voice in their own affairs. He called on the people to resist the "insatiable greed" of Spain and take charge of their own lands. By 1819, he decisively defeated Spanish forces in Colombia and in Venezuela after the Battle of Carobodo in 1821.
To this day, Bolivar is........