I did find it interesting. I am assuming you referred to the TL in your signature. If not, I would like to see your other TL.
Thanks! Yeah, it's the one in my signature, and it's a wank but I try to keep it realistic. My only problem is that I'm very slow with my updates... they shall come! Anyway, if you have any suggestion or constructive critic, please post it in the TL's threat.
That lack of change though is precisely what I'd blame for Gran Colombias collapse. No one cared about it besides elites. Most of whom, also didn't far about it beyond what they could get out of it. Gran Colombia needed to become a nation through the commitment of Mestizos alongside Criollos. Otherwise it's not a worthwhile nation. Just a project ultimately doomed to failure.
You're right, but it the elites manage to work togheter, get support from the mestizos and natives (indigenas here), it might work. It would be neccesary to make them believe union is neccesary and more convenient than separation, and perhaps having a leader able to maintain the country united during its first years. If it does fine, the elites will support the project. Simon Bolivar was a great military commander, but a terrible civilian leader just like most of the leaders of the independence wars in Latin America. They didn't know how to rule democratically and maintain union in their countries, leading to disunited, dictatorial societies where the army was far too important, sadly shapping Latin American history for the next centuries (hello, caudillo of the week!). We can also blame the ineffecient Spanish colonial system for that.
That's definitely true, but Colombia was one of the worst cases of those caudillo republics, along with Argentina and Mexico and of course Central America. Only (Gran) Colombia and Central America permanently fragmented over those issues too, although Argentina might count too.
I guess you know about the United States of Central America then? Anyway, after some problems after the independence war were fixed in Argentina, it did fine during a good time, having a strong economy and commodities similar to those in France or Britain. Then World War I and the Great Depression hit and Argentinians fixed those problems the only way we Latin Americans know how... having a coup!
Nah Dominican society at the time was very eager for confederation with Colombia due to being swept up in the nationalist wave against Spain. Colombia was seen as a essentially, "the future" and that "Santo Domingo should catch the wave". The only people really apathetic about it were the recently freed slaves (which were less than 10% of the population).
I do fear for seperatist tension if the War with Spain continues to drag on and Dominican resources are continually spent on a faraway and ceaseless war. If not, and Colombian money is in turn spent in Santo Domingo then the people would be ecstatic and loyal. Spain ignored them for centuries after all.
As for Haiti, well technically it was informally allied with Colombia and Colombia was the only country that formally recognized Haiti's existence. So, I don't know why they would attempt to jeapordize that relationship. Boyer was too smart for that.
During the independence wars there was a wave of... well, it was not quite nationalism but rather something of shared fervor against Spain and enthusiasm for unions and federations. There were several, like the USCA, Gran Colombia, Las Provincias Unidas de Rio de la Plata, and latter Peru-Bolivia, but them all failed. If Santo Domingo joins Gran Colombia and the country does fine, the people there, catholic mestizos would eventually become as Colombian as the people in the mainland. If Gran Colombia breaks appart, it would probably be only one more succesor state with a pretty tricolor flag (of course, if Gran Colombia holds it for a significant time there can be interesting butterflies).
I think the best moment for Dominican to join is once the wars are almost over, however that brings a problem in that even when the last royalist strongholds had fallen, Spain continued attacking its lost colonies, screwing Mexico and provoking a war in South America for the Chincha Islands. If Dominican joins Gran Colombia, it would probably be the most attacked place, not only by Spain but by Haiti too. Spain recognizing Gran Colombia's independence is needed to keep Dominican intact. Dominican would be quite happy to have a competent government for a change, since there's no national identity there and they are mestizo and catholic too, they would come to see themselves as Colombians in no time.
Haiti... Haiti is an oddball that you can't really predict. Boyer would not attack its only ally in the world, but Haiti was quite divided and his successor may try to do it. If Colombia counter attacks (
La República Contraataca) and annexes them or makes them a puppet, nobody would be able to say Colombia's the aggresor because they were technically only defending their land.