- "Generous souls always interest themselves in the fate of a people who strive to recover the rights to which the Creator and Nature have entitled them."
Simón Bolívar (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830), nicknamed el Libertador, was a Venezuelan general and statesman who liberated much of South America from Spanish control during the Spanish American wars of independence, and became the first President of Gran Colombia. He leads the Gran Colombians in Civilization VI.
Simón Bolívar's units are a nimble force to be reckoned with, whether on offense or defense. With clever use of his many Comandante Generals, his army becomes nigh unstoppable.
Intro[]
You could have followed the whims of your colleagues, Simón Bolívar, but instead you chose to become the Liberator. Hardships never dissuaded you, so hold fast to your ideals and lead your republic into a new age of prosperity.
In-Game[]
Simón Bolívar's unique agenda is Carabobo. He respects other leaders with many promoted units and focuses on that himself by building Encampments. He dislikes those who do not take care to build an elite army like he does.
His leader ability is Campaña Admirable. He earns a Comandante General, a unique type of 
Great Person, when the game enters a new era.
Detailed Approach[]
Additional movement for military units makes long marches across the plains or hills a breeze for Gran Colombia, whether patrolling their own lands or liberating hostile lands. Field promotions do not end a unit's turn, letting them get right back into the fray. With the addition of Comandante Generals, which join with each new era, Simón Bolívar's army is further bolstered with additional 
Combat Strength and 
Movement. The Llaneros are best near these Comandante Generals and other Llaneros, and serve as a powerful backbone for a mid-game military force. The Hacienda will provide sustenance and 
Production to continue the war path. Simón Bolívar is best leading Gran Colombia towards a Domination Victory, though such might can divert resources to other paths as well.
Lines[]
Simón Bolívar is voiced by Iván Ramón Orihuela Raschery. He speaks Spanish with a Colombian accent, using the archaic vosotros and os pronoun and verb forms to refer to the player. Realistically, he would have used the more polite usted pronoun to refer to another head of state. Os was also mostly unused in Latin America during Bolívar's time.
Voiced[]
| Codename | Quote (English translation) | Quote (Latin American Spanish) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agenda-based Approval | It seems that you understand both history and statecraft with a well promoted army. Your people benefit from your leadership. (lit. "It seems that you know as much about history as diplomacy. Your people benefit from your leadership.") | Al parecer conocéis tanto de historia como de diplomacia. Vuestro pueblo se beneficia con vuestro gobierno. | |
| Agenda-based Disapproval | May I offer a friendly word of warning? Change your ways, friend, or those who lead promoted armies will change them for you. (lit. "May I offer you a warning? Change your ways, or those who lead armies will do it for you.") | ¿Puedo daros una advertencia? Cambiad vuestros métodos, o los que lideran los ejércitos lo harán por vos. | |
| Attacked | Recourse to war is regrettable, but necessary, when dealing with vipers like you. | Seguir con la guerra es lamentable, pero necesario al lidiar con serpientes como vos. | |
| Declares War | Your tyranny, if unchecked, dooms the world to darkness, and for this reason I must declare war on you. | ¡Vuestra tiranía, si no se controla, llevará a la oscuridad al mundo y, por esta razón, os declaro la guerra! | |
| Defeated | Everything I have done, I did for the nation of Gran Colombia. I remain a patriot to the very end. | Todo lo que he hecho lo hice por la nación de la Gran Colombia. Soy un patriota hasta el final. | |
| Greeting | I, President Simon Bolivar, welcome you to Gran Colombia. | Yo, el presidente Simón Bolívar, os da la bienvenida a la Gran Colombia. | |
| Quote from Civilopedia | Generous souls always interest themselves in the fate of a people who strive to recover the rights to which the Creator and Nature have entitled them. | Las almas generosas se interesan en la gente que busca recuperar los derechos otorgados por el Creador y la naturaleza. | The quote in English is a translation of Bolívar's Carta de Jamaica (Jamaica Letter) as given in the book The Political Thought of Bolivar: Selected Writings. The line spoken in Spanish is most probably a back translation, because this sentence in the original is phrased differently - "Siempre las almas generosas se interesan en la suerte de un pueblo que se esmera por recobrar los derechos con que el Creador y la naturaleza lo han dotado."[1] This version would translate more like "Generous souls interest themselves in a people that strives to recover the rights given them by the Creator and Nature." |
Unvoiced[]
Delegation: I send to you a delegation of my finest horsemen carrying coffee and sugar. Will you let them in?
Delegation Accepted: We held a parade and a festival in the town square in your delegation's honor. They had a long night. Let them sleep in.
Delegation Rejected: Gran Colombia walks its own path today.
Accepts Declaration of Friendship: Yes! Let us break the chains of servitude together!
Rejects Declaration of Friendship: I am not yet convinced that you fight for liberty.
Requests Declaration of Friendship: We both serve the Revolution. Shall we plow the sea together?
Requests Alliance: Will you join me in my struggle for liberty?
Player Accepts Declaration of Friendship: Excellent!
Player Rejects Declaration of Friendship: I extend my hand to you, and you slap it away. Sad.
Accepts Trade Deal: Yes! Let us both profit from this!
Denounced by Player: Tyrant! Oppressor of the people! Foe of liberty! Your day of reckoning approaches!
Denounces Player: Perhaps you can deceive others, but I have no illusions about your wicked designs.
Too Many Troops Near His Border: Your forces threaten our lands. Remove them at once!
Invitation to Capital: In the spirit of friendship, let us visit each other's capital.
Invitation to City: We are holding an open debate in my city about the nature of freedom. Would you like to come and listen to me talk?
Civilopedia entry[]
Simón Bolívar, who later became known as the Liberator, was born to a wealthy, upper-class Venezuelan family in 1783. Although he had more than enough money to ensure what should have been a positive, bright upbringing, Bolívar’s childhood was far from perfect. His father died when he was just three years old. Six years later, his mother passed away, leaving him in the care of his uncle. Bolívar’s uncle became the administrator of his inheritance and arranged for him to have several well-educated tutors. Many of these tutors would have a lasting impact on him and the philosophies he’d carry through his life. He was educated in classical schools of thought and began to learn about the newer and rapidly evolving ones. One of his tutors, Simón Rodriguez, opened the door to the Enlightenment movement and in particular, the philosophies of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Bolívar’s uncle sent him to study abroad in Spain and Europe when he was sixteen. Like with most ideal European study abroad trips, Bolívar found love in Spain. Three years after arriving, he married María Teresa del Toro y Alayza, the daughter of a Spanish noble, and returned home. However, his brief time of happiness was short lived. His wife died of yellow fever before their first anniversary. Although Bolívar was unfortunately familiar with death, the loss still hit him hard and left him changed.
He returned to Europe and watched the rise of Napoleon. For a while, Bolívar admired him. However, when Bolívar returned to Venezuela, he effectively ended his friendship with Napoleon after Napoleon made Joseph Bonaparte the King of Spain and by extension, its colonies. This included Bolívar’s home of Venezuela and prompted him to join the resistance.
In 1810, the Caracas junta declared its independence, and Bolívar was once again shipped off to Europe, both because of his diplomatic skills and apparent ease while traveling long distances. He arrived in England and remained there for a year before once more making the long voyage back to Venezuela. His homecoming was less than welcoming, and rumors spread that he and his fellow independence leader, Francisco de Miranda, were growing apart. Miranda’s subsequent arrest and Bolívar’s quick escape to Cartagena de Indias didn’t help these allegations. Even with the rumors, Bolívar took advantage of the situation. During his time away, he wrote the Manifiesto de Cartagena. In it, Bolívar continued to push for independence from Spain. His reputation grew during this time, aided by his philosophies and Miranda’s absence.
After a new Spanish king overthrew the new Venezuelan republic, Bolívar took charge within the military of New Granada and led an invasion into Venezuela. He earned his title, El Libertador, through numerous campaigns to liberate his home. Unfortunately, Bolívar and his forces weren’t able to hold the capital of Caracas long, and his troops were pushed out of the city. Rather than allowing himself to be defeated, Bolívar gathered his allies from across South America and even Great Britain to finally, and decisively, drive out the Spanish and Royalist forces.
Following further liberations of the region, Bolívar and his allies created the Republic of Gran Colombia. Bolívar became president with Francisco de Paula Santander, a fellow military and political leader, as his vice president. His government and time as president were far from peaceful. The region was rife with unrest from the fragile state that the extended battles had left it in. Reigning over the vast Gran Colombia wasn’t an easy task, and it became more difficult after the Peruvian Congress named Bolívar dictator of Peru. Power is fickle, difficult to hold on to, and even harder to control. Regional uprisings and dissent put Bolívar on edge. To solidify his dream of a unified Gran Colombia, Bolívar called for a constitutional convention in 1828. Unfortunately, the delegates disagreed with his proposed vision of a centralist model of government complete with a "lifetime president" who could choose his successor—within reason, of course. Although he ultimately believed in a limited government, Bolívar worried about the fragility of Gran Colombia. He felt that Gran Colombia had to grow before he could apply his true ideals to it.
To try to save face with his government and the people, Bolívar declared himself dictator—which he assured everyone was a temporary measure. This act went over spectacularly with his political opponents and lead to an assassination attempt that he narrowly escaped.
After two more years serving as the "president," Bolívar resigned. He packed up his belongings, hoping to once again journey to Europe. However, Bolívar never boarded the boat. He contracted tuberculosis, which ultimately led to his death on December 17, 1830. Before his death, Bolívar asked his aide-de-camp, General Daniel Florencio O’Leary, to dispose of all of his writings. Like his delegates during the constitutional convention, O’Leary disagreed with this order and did not burn Bolívar’s substantial works. After more than a decade following his passing, Bolívar was buried in his hometown of Caracas. A monument was erected there to celebrate him and his accomplishments.
Trivia[]
- Bolívar's diplomacy screen shows the Andean Moorland, as it features an Espeletia-type plant that is unique to this ecosystem. (Due to the vegetation, it is very unlikely that this image represents the Llanos region.)
- Bolívar's leader ability is the name given to his military campaign to liberate Venezuela from the Spanish, while his leader agenda is named after his decisive victory against the Spanish in Venezuela.
- Prior to the redesign of the Ranking screen with the release of the Rise and Fall expansion, Simón Bolívar was one of the leaders to whom players could be compared if their final score was 1,300-1,399 points.
- Bolívar recycles some animations from Pedro II.
- Bolívar, like many other leaders across the Civilization franchise, is a descendant of both Eleanor of Aquitaine and Frederick Barbarossa.
Gallery[]
.png "Simón Bolívar loadscreen (Civ6).png (2.67 MB)")
Videos[]
Civilization VI - First Look- Gran Colombia - Civilization VI - New Frontier Pass
First Look: Gran Colombia
Related achievements[]
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El Libertador
Win a regular game as Simón Bolívar
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To plow the sea
As Simón Bolívar activate all the Comandante Generals across multiple games.
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References[]
See also[]
- Simón Bolívar in other games
