Luis Carlos Prestes vs Simon Bolivar

Prestes commanded a rebel column that marched over 25,000 km through Brazil's interior from 1925 to 1927, protesting the oligarchic republic. The column evaded government forces but failed to spark a popular uprising, becoming a symbol of resistance.

Prestes formally joined the PCB after years of exile in the Soviet Union. He became the party's leading figure, advocating for a Marxist-Leninist revolution in Brazil.

Prestes directed an attempted communist uprising in Brazilian army barracks in Natal, Recife, and Rio de Janeiro. The revolt was quickly crushed by government forces, leading to Prestes' arrest and imprisonment for nine years.

After the failed 1935 uprising, Prestes was arrested and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He was held in solitary confinement for much of his sentence, becoming a symbol of communist martyrdom.

Prestes was released under the amnesty of the democratization process at the end of the Vargas dictatorship. He returned to lead the PCB, which was briefly legalized, and was elected senator in 1945.

Prestes was expelled from the PCB for criticizing the party's moderate, Eurocommunist turn. He spent his final years in relative isolation, maintaining a hardline Stalinist stance.

Bolívar issued the Decree of War to the Death, authorizing the execution of all Spaniards who did not actively support independence. This radical measure intensified the Venezuelan War of Independence, leading to brutal reprisals and escalating the conflict.

Bolívar's army defeated Spanish forces at the Battle of Boyacá, securing the independence of New Granada (modern Colombia). This victory was a turning point, leading to the liberation of Bogotá and the creation of Gran Colombia.

Bolívar established the Republic of Gran Colombia, a federation encompassing present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. He became its first president, aiming to create a unified South American state, but internal divisions later led to its dissolution.

Bolívar convened the Congress of Angostura, where he outlined his vision for a centralized government and a strong executive. The congress drafted a constitution for Gran Colombia and elected Bolívar as president, laying the legal foundation for the new state.