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I was looking into including a surviving Gran Colombia to the present day, and I was wondering how I could get that to reasonably come about, as a federal, relatively free and liberal country, roughly analogous to the US/Canada in protections for citizens and the level of security its citizens enjoy.

Would it be possible that Simon Bolivar, instead of going to Spain, instead travels to the USA and is influenced by the Americans' constitution, marries an American woman, then moves back to New Granada, then leads his 'country' to independence with a more federal constitution? I know there were weaknesses in the country that led it to falling apart, but is there a way he could keep it together without having to declare himself dictator? And how might this theoretical country evolve to the present (assuming the rest of the world remains the same)?

Thanks!

James
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