Simón Bolívar

Simón Bolívar was born in Caracas, Venezuela, into a rich family of Spanish descent, and was orphaned as a child. He studied in Europe, where his young wife died soon after their marriage, and in Rome in 1805 he swore to free his homeland from Spain. When Napoleon's invasion of Spain weakened Spanish rule, revolts broke out across South America. Bolívar fought for years, with many defeats and exiles. In 1819 he led his army across the flooded plains and freezing Andes passes to win the battle of Boyacá, freeing New Granada, now Colombia. Further victories freed Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Upper Peru, which named itself Bolivia in his honor. He became president of Gran Colombia, a large republic he hoped would hold the region together, and he freed people he had held in slavery. But rival leaders and regions pulled apart, he grew more authoritarian, and he survived an assassination attempt. Ill with tuberculosis, he resigned in 1830 and died that December at Santa Marta.

Faith: Baptized Catholic; the extent of his religiosity is debated. Source: Wikipedia