Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Blanco, commonly known as Simón Bolívar (1783-1848) was a South American military and political leader. Together with Bernardo O'Higgins and Francisco Morazan , he played a key role in Latin America's successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire, and is today considered one of the most influential politicians in South American history. He helped Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru in their independence in 1810-1816. In 1818 he was the leader of Nueva Granada. He was a good leader, but dictatore-like in his operations. In 1831 he made himself Emperor of New Granada as Simon I. There was a revolt against him because of this and in 1832 he was deposited. He exiled himself in Mexico and raised a force which landed in the Guajira peninsula, 1836. He marched on Bogota and conquered it in 1837. In 1838 Francisco de Paula Santander rebelled against Bolivar and started a grand Civil War. Only until 1842 did Santander win, after the Battle of Quito which saw many losses for Bolivar's men. He left to the Federal Republic of Central America, still with plans of reclaiming Nueva Granada. In 1848 he landed in Panama, but he died of yellow fever and most of his men abandoned him.