Simon Bolivar's Message to the Congress of Angostura

In Simon Bolivar's Message to the Congress of Angostura, he states that Latin American people deserve their independence.

1. The first time he mentions freedom he says, "Americans by birth and Europeans by law, we find ourselves engaged in a dual conflict: we are disputing with the natives for titles of ownership, and at the same time we are struggling to maintain ourselves in the country that gave us birth against the opposition of the invaders." This means that they are Latin Americans by birth, but Europeans by law because they have a mother country in Europe. They are fighting with the people of Latin America for ownership, but also they are fighting to keep their country away from the invaders of Europe. Either their mother country needs to give them more rights or else they need to let them go and fend for themselves.

2. The next part that he states is, "As our role has always been strictly passive and political existence nil, we find that our quest for liberty is now even more difficult of accomplishment; for we, having been placed in a state lower than slavery, had been robbed not only of our freedom but also of the right to exercise an active domestic tyranny. . ." He is saying that even though Latin American people never really had a right to say or do what they feel, it is now gotten worse. He also says that they are being treated worse than slaves and that not only do they not have freedom, but they are also being denied the right to exercise a domestic tyranny. Latin American should have the right to freedom and instead of things getting worse, they should be getting that much better.

3. Next is when he says, "We have been ruled more by deceit than by force, and we have been degraded more by vice than by superstition." He is saying here that they are being ruled by lies, not force, and brought down by immoral conduct, not superstition. They are being treated like dirt, which is not right at all and things should change so they can have freedom and rights.

4. Lastly he says, "Give Venezuela such an executive power in the person of a president chosen by the people or their representatives, and you will have taken a great step toward national happiness. No matter what citizen occupies this office, he will be aided by the Constitution, and therein being authorized to do good, he can do no harm, because his ministers will cooperate with him only insofar as he abides by the law." This basically translates to him saying that if someone of the people were to represent all the people, then this would make everyone happy. It does not matter who that person is because the Constitution will help him and his helpers will help him as long as he follows the law. The people deserve a say in the power and this is a type of freedom.

He also stated that English-America is completely different than Spanish-American, therefore they can not adopt their ways. This is comparing the American Revolution to the Latin American Revolution.