But the self-anointed leader did not hesitate to desert his soldiers
and leave them stranded after yet another of his military exploits -
an attempt to capture Caracas - unravelled in 1816. He simply defected
to Haiti, letting his loyal troops fend for themselves as best they
could.
There followed a string of successful - even brilliant - battles and
coalitions with local warlords and politicians which culminated in the
liberation of Peru. In 1824, Bolivar was declared dictator - or, to be
precise, "Emperor" - of Peru and commander in chief of its army.
Bolivar liked power and its trappings. In the constitution he composed
in 1826, he suggested that the president of Bolivia - the name given
to the entire region, except Peru - should be appointed for life and
should have the right to choose his successor.
This president - presumably, Bolivar - was described unabashedly by
Bolivar himself as:
"The sun which, fixed in its orbit, imparts life to the universe.
...Upon him rests our entire order, notwithstanding his lack of powers
...a life term president, with the power to choose his successor, is
the most sublime inspiration amongst republican regimes.
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