“The salvation of our homeland is the supreme law”: Francisco de Miranda’s and Simón Bolívar’s exceptional powers in the Colombian and Venezuelan independence wars

Abstract

During the wars of independence of Venezuela and New Granada (1808-1831), several military leaders such as Francisco de Miranda and Simón Bolívar were granted exceptional powers. This measure was guided by the principles of ancient or Enlightenment authors, which were then also revisited. During the independence wars, "absolute" or "dictatorship-like" powers were granted as a rule in critical moments such as military defeats or natural disasters. The main goal was to protect the homeland from its enemies by suspending legal norms recently included in the republican constitutions of Venezuela and New Granada. However, such decisions also sparked numerous debates among republican officials. From their supporters' perspective, these powers had showed their potential to safeguard the Republic back in Cincinnatus' or George Washington's day. This was precisely Francisco de Miranda's argument to justify his extraordinary powers as Supreme Chief in 1812, which eventually would not prevent his defeat by the loyalist troops later that year. As war commander, Simón Bolívar argued that his extraordinary powers were a strategic necessity in order to organise the army and achieve a final victory. However, other eminent figures such as José Cortés de Madariaga in 1817 argued that a constitutional order based on the separation of powers should be maintained at all times. Those against exceptional powers feared the concentration of power in the hands of a single man, recalling the examples of Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte. These debates became even fiercer when dictatorial powers were granted to Simón Bolívar upon Spain's defeat on the grounds of both Republics' need for stability.