Explanation of Simon Bolivar’s Quote

“We have achieved our independence at the expense of everything else.” 

This quote basically means that though the struggle may have been a great one, Simon Bolivar worked hard to gain independence in South America. During the proccess of gaining independance he fought many wars and his standards were set high for himself because in a way he wanted to be like Napolean, liberating a great amount of countries. The independent government of Haiti gave Simon Bolivar money and weapons when he promised to free all of the slaves in Latin America. He dreamed of a Gran Colombia, where all the people in the lands Columbus discovered living together in one country — But the people of Latin America wanted their own countries. Gran Colombia broke up into Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Panama. Simon Bolivar liberated the northern half of South America: Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Bolivia while Jose de San Martin liberated the southern half: Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. Mimicking the French Revolution, when the two liberators met in Guayaquil, Ecuador they agreed that the South American Countries should be free, equal and fraternal.