Independence Narratives, Past and Present

The title of this unit reflects well on the works we discussed. There seems to be a recurring theme of colonialism within Latin America through different time periods. Through these different timespans it is apparent to us as readers that certain things never change, the involvement of developed nations in the affairs of those still developing. 

The first work is A Letter by Simón Bolívar written in 1815. Bolívar brings to light the plight of nations still under Spanish rule, proclaiming that their liberty is imminent. He goes on to denounce the Spanish colonial period, saying that anyone who refers to their actions in this time period as attrocities is merely downplaying the horrendous acts they committed. Bolívar avidly believes in the rebuilding of the region once all nations attain independence, which to him, is impending. 

The second work was a letter by José Martí entitled Our America published in 1891. This work greatly mirrored Bolívars writting, as it too prophesised the unavoidable independence of all Latin American nations within the region. He however discussed the unification process that nations will need to undergo once free. He stated that there must be no divisions among people or else that will cause the new states to fail. He therefore coyed the new definition of belonging within the Americas as slaves and spaniards born within the colonies would all need to be seen as citizens. By doing such, Martí tried to escape from the socio-economic limits the colonial powers had put on different races and classes, binding them to certain roles within society. This proved that even after independence, the reminance of colonialism would remain and taunt the now free states. 

The final work within this chapter was the Speech by President Hugo Chávez at the openining of the XII G-15 Summit in 2004. In this speech, Chávez spoke passionately about the Latin America and all its potential, but reminded everyone of the ramifications of neocolonialism. He pointed out how the Cold War ended up engulfing nations that did not really hold direct stakes in any of those matters and by doing such allowed developed nations to maintain their grips on developing nations. 

Through all these three works we see the continued narrative of people constantly seeking autonomy. It is evident that all writers recognize the prescence of a force trying to subdue those attempts, and by doing so, acknowledge that some sort of struggle is necessary. Although these fights may not be physical, they do end up taking a lot out of those involved, and delay these nations in their attempts at writing their own histories.