Simon Bolivar Quotes

Nearly a million persons formerly dwelt in Venezuela, and it is no exaggeration to say that one out of four has succumbed either to the land, sword, hunger, plague, flight, or privation, all consequences of the war

How beautiful it would be if the Isthmus of Panama should come to be to us what the Isthmus of Corinth was to the Greeks! May God grant that some day we may have the happiness of installing there an august congress of the representatives of the republics, kingdoms and empires, to discuss and study the high interests of peace and war with nations of other three parts of the world!

The role of the inhabitants of the American hemisphere has for centuries been purely passive. Politically they were nonexistent. We are still in a position lower than slavery, and therefore it is more difficult for us to rise to the enjoyment of freedom.

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, and one must indeed be wedded to error and passion not to harbor this noble sentiment

16,000,000 Americans either defend their rights or suffer repression at the hands of Spain, which, although once the world's greatest empire, is now too weak, with what little is left her, to rule the new hemisphere or even to maintain herself in the old. And shall Europe, the civilized, the merchant, the lover of liberty allow an aged serpent, bent only on satisfying its venomous rage, devour the fairest part of our globe? What! Is Europe deaf to the clamor of her own interests? Has she no eyes to see justice?

The hatred that the Peninsula has inspired in us is greater than the ocean between us. It would be easier to have the two continents meet than to reconcile the spirits of the two countries. The habit of obedience; a community of interest, of understanding, of religion; mutual goodwill; a tender regard for the birthplace and good name of our forefathers; in short, all that gave rise to our hopes, came to us from Spain

Success will crown our efforts, because the destiny of America has been irrevocably decided; the tie that bound her to Spain has been severed.

Those republics which in time of danger cannot resort to a dictatorship, or some similar authority, will generally be ruined when grave emergencies occur.

The rules that bind governments are much looser during wartime than in times of peace.

Do not adopt the best system of government, but the one most likely to succeed.

Governments can derive their authority from three sources: tradition, the qualities and charisma of an individual leader, and constitutional and legal norms.

I've always said I would never say never when it comes to politics.

This Diversity of origins requires an infinitely firm guide, an infinitely delicate touch to manage this heterogeneous society, whose complex composition becomes destroyed, divided and dissolved with the slightest alteration.

Europe itself, by policy, should have prepared and carried out plans for South American independence; not only because it is necessary for the proper balance of the world, but because it is a legitimate and safe means for obtaining commercial bases on this side of the ocean.

During [Simon] Bolivar’s own lifetime, his role changed dramatically, as Bolivar transformed from an anti-colonial populist to a dictator.

The government is going to suspend our Constitution and put us under martial law.

In our government we drive decisions either by leadership of by crises. If the leadership is not there, we rely on crises.

Our democratic belief that anyone can be a political leader paradoxically feeds into the anti-democratic belief that we should look to one person to quickly and easily save us. No one, alone, can fix it, and in our system of government, this authoritarian approach is a prescription for catastrophe.

Business leaders should show what our political leaders seem to lack - that is, a common-sense view of the times.

One of the great creative statesmen of our age was Franklin Roosevelt. He was creative precisely because he preferred experiment to ideology.

I will never apologize for changing the approach or strategy when the facts change.

The only reason there is peace and order in Davao is because of me.

Leaders cling to power in a socialist state like Venezuela by buying votes and manipulating elections.

Public crises, particularly those concerning life and death, offer demagogues ample opportunity to amass more power.

Make your plans to fit the circumstances.