''Libertadores'' (, "Liberators") were the principal leaders of the

Spanish American wars of independence The Spanish American wars of independence (25 September 1808 – 29 September 1833; es, Guerras de independencia hispanoamericanas) were numerous wars in Spanish America with the aim of political independence from Spanish rule during the early ...

from

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

and of the movement in support of Brazilian independence from

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...

. They are named that way in contrast with the ''

Conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, ...

s''. They were largely local-born men of European descent ('' criollos''), in most cases part of the

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. Th ...

and with military training in the motherland, who were influenced by

liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostilit ...

and led colonial subjects in their struggle for independence against the

metropole A metropole (from the Greek '' metropolis'' for "mother city") is the homeland, central territory or the state exercising power over a colonial empire. From the 19th century, the English term ''metropole'' was mainly used in the scope of ...

List of libertadores

Hispanic America

Brazil

Pedro I became known as the ''libertador'' (liberator) of Brazil.

Pedro I of Brazil Dom Pedro I (English: Peter I; 12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), nicknamed "the Liberator", was the founder and first ruler of the Empire of Brazil. As King Dom Pedro IV, he reigned briefly over Portugal, where he also becam ...

became known as "o Libertador" ("the Liberator) in Brazil for his role in the country's independence. Sporadically, the term has also been applied to other figures such as José Bonifacio (known as the "patriarch for independence"), Maria Leopoldina de Austria, and

Joaquim Gonçalves Ledo Joaquim Gonçalves Ledo (11 December 1781 – 9 May 1847) was a Brazilian journalist and politician. He was active in the freemasonry movement in Brazil. He was one of the leaders of the more liberal and democrat faction during the confused perio ...

Legacy

The flags of

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...

and

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

follow Francisco de Miranda's design of 1806. Also,

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

was named after Símon Bolívar, who in turn was president of Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and twice of Venezuela. San Martín served as "President Protector" of Peru. In what today is part of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Iturbide, a military leader revolted against the Viceroyalty of New Spain, founded an independent nation where he ascended as Emperor Agustín I. The names of ''libertadores'' are used all over South America to name anything from towns and places to institutions and sports clubs. Also, the most prestigious international club football competition in South America is named the

Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in S ...

in their honour.

Bibliography

* Robert Harvey. ''Liberators: Latin America's Struggle for Independence''. Woodstock, The Overlook Press, 2000. * James Higgins (editor). ''The Emancipation of Peru: British Eyewitness Accounts'', 2014. Online at https://sites.google.com/site/jhemanperu * Marion Lansing. ''Liberators and Heroes of South America''. Boston, L. C. Page & Co., 1940. * Irene Nicholson. ''The Liberators: A Study of Independence Movements in Spanish America''. New York, Frederick A. Praeger, 1968. *

References

External links

* {{in lang, es}
"Sucre, Bolívar y San Martín"
Argentine Ministry of Economy
Copa Libertadores
History of South America Age of Enlightenment