Simon Bolivar Quotes:

A state too expensive in itself, or by virtue of its dependencies, ultimately falls into decay; its free government is transformed into a tyranny; it disregards the principles which it should preserve, and finally degenerates into despotism. The distinguishing characteristic of small republics is stability: the character of large republics is mutability.

source: - Simon Bolivar's letter from Jamaica, Summer 1815.

Topics: Fall, Character, Government, Mutability, Dependency

Nations will march towards the apex of their greatness at the same pace as their education. Nations will soar if their education soars; they will regress if it regresses. Nations will fall and sink in darkness if education is corrupted or completely abandoned

Topics: Fall, Greatness, Darkness, Apex

A people that loves freedom will in the end be free.

Topics: People, Ends, Love Freedom

The Ignorance the people live in leads them to commit mistakes against their own happiness

Topics: Mistake, Ignorance, People

It is harder to maintain the balance of freedom than it is to endure the weight of tyranny.

Topics: Balance, Weight, Endure

Legislators could certainly do with a school of morals.

Topics: School, Moral

Morals and lights are our first necessities.

Topics: Light, Firsts, Moral

The art of victory is learned in defeat.

Topics: Art, Victory, Defeat

The freedom of the New World is the hope of the Universe.

Topics: World, Universe

To do something right it must be done twice. The first time instructs the second.

Topics: Firsts, Done, First Time

When mankind was in its infancy, steeped in uncertainty, ignorance, and error, was it possible to foresee what system it would adopt for preservation.

Topics: Ignorance, Errors, Preservation

Damn it, how will I ever get out of this labyrinth

source: - Simon Bolivar's statement made in the last months of his life, occasionally said to be his last words; quoted in Gabriel Garcia Marquez "The General in His Labyrinth" (p. 267), 1990.

Topics: Labyrinth, Bedtime, Labyrinth Looking For Alaska, Looking For Alaska Book, Alaska Young

Our hatred knows no bounds, and the war shall be to the death.

Topics: War, Hatred, Resistance

If Nature is against us, we shall fight Nature and make it obey.

source: - "Birth of a World: Bolivar in Terms of His Peoples". Book by Waldo David Frank, p. 55, 1951.

Topics: Nature, Fighting

The continuation of authority has frequently proved the undoing of democratic governments. Repeated elections are essential to the system of popular governments, because there is nothing so dangerous as to suffer power to be vested for a long time in one citizen. The people become accustomed to obeying him, and he becomes accustomed to commanding, hence the origin of usurpation and tyranny.

source: - "The World's Great Speeches". Book edited by Lewis Copeland and Lawrence Lamm, 1958.

Topics: Government, Long, People, Democratic Government, Continuation

God grants victory to perseverance.

source: - "Simon Bolivar". Book by Gerhard Masur, 1948.

Topics: Positive, Perseverance, Victory

War lives on despotism and is not waged with God's love.

Topics: War, Despotism

Among the popular and representative systems of government I do not approve of the federal system: it is too perfect; and it requires virtues and political talents much superior to our own.

Topics: Government, Perfect, Political, Systems Of Government

Flee the country where a lone man holds all power: It is a nation of slaves.

Topics: Country, Men, Slave

Colombians! My last wish is for the happiness of the patria. If my death contributes to the end of partisanship and the consolidation of the union, I shall be lowered in peace into my grave.

source: - Simon Bolivar's final proclamation to the people of Colombia (December 8, 1830) as quoted in Thomas Rourke "Man of Glory: Simon Bolivar", 1939.

Topics: Wish, Unions, Lasts, Partisanship, Consolidation

Is it conceivable that a newly emancipated people can soar to the heights of liberty, and, unlike Icarus, neither have its wings melt nor fall into an abyss? Such a marvel is inconceivable and without precedent. There is no reasonable probability to bolster our hopes.

Topics: Fall, Wings, People, Icarus

It is harder to release a nation from servitude than to enslave a free nation.

source: - Simón Bolívar (1951). “Selected Writings: 1810-1822”

Topics: Release, Harder, Servitude

Slavery is the offspring of darkness.

Topics: Darkness, Slavery, Offspring

The three greatest fools of History have been Jesus Christ, Don Quixote . . . and me!

Topics: Jesus, Three, Fool

When tyranny becomes law, rebellion is a right.

Topics: Law, Rebellion, Tyranny

The first duty of a government is to give education to the people.

Topics: Government, Giving, People

The United States appear to be destined by Providence to plague America with misery in the name of liberty

source: - Simon Bolivar's statement (1829) as quoted in John Gerassi "The Great Fear: The Reconquest of Latin America by Latin Americans", 1963.

Topics: Names, America, Liberty

An ignorant people is the blind instrument of its own destruction.

source: - Simón Bolívar, Frederick H. Fornoff, David Bushnell (2003). “El Libertador: Writings of Simón Bolívar”, p.34, Oxford University Press, USA

Topics: People, Ignorant, Blind, Ignorant People

In the unity of our nations rests the glorious future of our peoples.

Topics: Unity, Glorious, Nations

Do not compare your material forces with those of the enemy. Spirit cannot be compared with matter. You are human beings, they are beasts. You are free, they are slaves.

source: - "Simon Bolivar". Book by Gerhard Masur, 1948.

Topics: Enemy, Matter, Spirit

He who serves a revolution ploughs a sea.

Topics: Sea, Revolution

Out of the most secure things, the most secure is to doubt.

Topics: Doubt, Secure

Let the entire system of government be strengthened, and let the balance of power be drawn up in such a manner that it will be permanent and incapable of decay because of its own tenuity.

source: - Simón Bolívar (1951). “Selected Writings: 1810-1822”

Topics: Balance Of Power

Do not adopt the best system of government, but the one most likely to succeed.

source: - Simón Bolívar, José Luis Salcedo-Bastardo (1983). “The hope of the universe”, United Nations Educational

Topics: Systems Of Government