Calvi's Thesis on Simon Bolivar

Although the intense debate over what style of revolutionary Simon Bolivar was often takes two extremes; some claiming that he was a elitist who wanted to take power away from the Spaniards and only give it to white South Americans and some claiming that Bolivar was the first Latin American socialist, the truth lies somewhere in between (as usual). In actuality Bolivar was a pragmatist with little ideological conviction who simply wanted to get rid of the Spaniards. This is best reflected in the style of revolution he conducted, one that was aimed for a simple Republican goal and was based on the ideals of Napoleon rather than the radical Jacobins of the French Revolution. He also shows less conservative stripes with the type of revolutionary force he put tighter; having an army that even at the highest ranks had blacks and indigenous members, reflecting Bolivar’s realization of the diversity of Latin America.