In the Jamaica letter, Simon Bolivar reviews a series of independence movements, at that time still ongoing processes, that were playing out across the former Spanish colonies. At the time of his writing, these movements had each experienced different amounts of success (Such as in Peru, where “nearly one million inhabitants now enjoy liberty,” compared to Cuba, which is still “the most tranquil Spanish possession.”), Bolivar has no doubt that all the territory in the Americas will soon be free from the chains of European great powers.

In fact, in order to stand up to those great powers, Bolivar proposed a number of measures to unify the varied people of the Americas. In a crucial paragraph towards the end of his letter, Bolivar expresses his desire to see all of the assorted countries and cultures of Latin America (or former Spanish America) united under a single, independent government. In the following sentence, though, he admits that the continent is not yet ready for such unity. In place of this, he proposes a realignment of power in the region where each state maintains its independence and its boundaries, but is centered on a powerful “parent country,” and is made up of interdependent parts, rather than a colonizer and the colonized.

Another interesting point in Bolivar’s letter was his cyclical view of history. In his introduction to the issues at hand, he compares the Napoleonic domination of Spain and Portugal to the Iberian conquests in the Americas. I found this especially interesting after reading Hugo Chavez’s speech, where a number of these same themes are repeated, nearly 200 years later. For instance, Chavez goes to great lengths to discuss the phenomenon of globalization. Bolivar had envisioned increasing interconnectedness as a fundamental tool with which to forge a unified American nation, but Chavez sees it as an instrument that furthers neocolonialism. Chavez describes these exploitative processes as turning Latin America into a social bomb. Even in the face of this, much of the rhetoric is the same from Bolivar to Chavez. He again supports increased trade within Latin America, as well as the establishment of a number of institutions that cross boundaries and promote regional identity.

The message from Chavez’s speech seems to be that although the superpower has changed from Spanish imperialism to an economic and cultural hegemony from the United States, in essence Bolivar’s struggle is an ongoing process. Not only that, but it has laid the foundations and shaped the history of Latin America. Above all, Chavez implies that the Bolivarian dream has still not been realized.