Bolivar, Simon.

to José Álamo, about his campaign to liberate Guayaquil from Peru, expressing delight that fighting has ceased, reporting that he is convalescing with his troops a mile outside the city, waiting for the Peruvians to sue for peace, and for the frigates necessary to keep them in submission; Bolivar asks Álamo to influence the Venezuelan president, General José Antonio Páez, to mount a press campaign against the castillos, publicising the fact that they are "Visigothic" (ie pro-Spanish) and evil, and had recently deserted to side with the "Visigoths" (ie the Spanish), enquiring about Páez (who in fact planned to separate Venezuela from Gran Colombia), as he has not heard from him in some time, commending his work with Páez on ensuring a stable militia, and urgently demanding him to chase up the payments due from the mining companies, as he needs the funds to pay for his current campaigns, 4 pages, 4to (c. 24 x 18cm.), Guayaquil, 4 September 1829, small tear to foot of each page, slightly affecing the last line on the 2nd page, a few small stains

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
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Voy á hacer á V. un encargo, y es, que influya con el G. Paez y con Brizeño para que se imprima en los papeles públicos el Godismo y perversidad de los Castillos, haciendo ver que han estado de acuerdo con los Españoles, que han sido muy Godos y Malvados; y que recientemente han desertado á aquellas banderas. En fin, que se les desacredite por cuantos modos sea posible, por que esto ademas de ser justo, es conven[ien]te...

Peru claimed sovereignty over Guayaquil, then part of Gran Colombia, where Bolivar was president. Bolivar led an expedition to Guayaquil to teach the Peruvians a lesson, but lost many of his ill-provided troops by making a forced march during the rainy season. Fortunately, Peruvians loyal to Bolivar saved the day and a peace treaty was finally signed at Guayaquil on 22 September 1829. Bolivar may have contracted the tuberculosis that ended his life the following year, as a result of the deprivations suffered during this largely unnecessary campaign. At this time the term "Godos" was used to identify Spanish-born officials working in Latin America, as being similar to the "Visigoths" that had ruled Spain.

Published in Obras Completas, (Havana, 1947), ii, 766 (no.2112), from a copy.