Questions about post-independence Hispanic nations in South America

The title isn't the best, but it will suffice. I've been doing some research lately regarding the 1820-1840 period in Latin America, but there are some questions plaguing me, especially considering that I'm trying to conceive a different ALT-South America. Perhaps someone there might explain some things:

1) Simon Bolivar had designs for a united Hispano-America, from Central America to Argentina, it seems. In OTL he intervened in Peru and his armies were responsible for the liberation of Upper Peru/Bolivia from the Spanish royalists. In this context how did exactly Peru rose up as an independent country? Was there any drive for the Peruvians to join Gran Colombia, or any interest of the Colombians of outright annexing Peru, like they seemed interested to do in Bolivia (considering that his general Sucre was created as President of Bolivia, it seems that for some time they intended for it to join the Colombian confederation).

2) What's the likelihood of Chile, instead of surviving as an independent republic, getting annexed or voluntarily joining one of its neighbors right after the Independence Wars? I've read somewhere that due to the geographic position (surrounded by the Andes), Chile had closer contact and ties with Peru than with Argentina. Is it feasible to conceive a newborn Chile to join the Peruvian republic?

3) Why exactly did the Peru-Bolivia Confederation failed IOTL? I realize they were invaded by Argentina and Chile, but wasn't there any kind of interest for Bolivians in remaining part of the PBC? In a more peaceful external scenario, could the Peruvian government prevent the break-up?

Thanks in advance!!!
 
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1. Peru was the center of Spanish power in South America and the most prestigious viceroyalty besides New Spain (Mexico). For almost 200 years all trade and gold shipping was made through Callao, Peru and they had a monopoly of trade with Spain through Mexico. The oldest aristocratic institutions were there and the criollos (whites of Spanish descent) had a self important view of their own position in South America. They were the last ones to support independence and the Peruvian viceroys stalled independence in Bolivia, Quito and Chile for quite a while. It is almost impossible for there to be a sentiment in favor of annexation or integration to Gran Colombia and they saw Bolivar (and San Martin) as an interloper that wasn't welcomed after the independence was secured.

2. The captaincy of Chile was by the time of its independence a third of its XX century size and was as remote as you can be in Spanish South America. Nominally it was part of the viceroyalty of Peru but that authority was all but gone by the XVIII century. When the independence wars started the Peruvian Viceroy Abascal invaded Chile and forcefully put them back into the Peruvian viceroyalty. That lasted until Abascal was recalled to Spain and Spanish garrisons in Chile were reduced to guard the Peruvian core against revolts abandoning it to criollo revolts and Argentinian intervention. Besides Callao (Peru) and Valparaiso (Chile) were direct rival ports since the liberalisation of trade in the last years of the colonial era.

3. The Peru-Bolivia Confederation was the child of a Bolivian general and later politician Andres de Santa Cruz who though a combination of cutthroat politics and military feats created the confederation by dividing Peru into North and South Peru and adding Bolivia to it. Each component nation had its own president and was leaded by a Supreme Protector. This arrangement was resented by the elites of Lima (North Peru) since it diluted their power since South Peru and Bolivia were more aligned in their interest against the north. It was Peruvian elements that invited the Chileans and Argentinians (wary against the creation of a country that evoked the overwhelming power Peru had during the colonial era) into action against the Confederacy. Since it was sustained mostly in the prestige of Santa Cruz (who had just started to build legal institutions based on European models) once he lost a major battle against the invaders the whole thing fell apart.
 
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Thanks very much for the response, Luis. It was very informative and helpful.

@catalfalque. I've been actually reading (by the Wiki, even if it's not the best source) about San Martín because I was trying to picture the situation of Argentine during the independence. Thanks for the support, friend, I'll give it a look (possibly the Spanish Wiki is more detailed).

Since we are on topic... was it possible for the Bolivarian faction from Gran Colombia to attempt the annexation of the former Viceroyalty of Peru by war? I doubt it very much, but I'm just trying to picture the situation on the place and period.
 
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Possible, yes. Doable, not likely. Gran Colombia had a war in 1928 against Peru that originated on the transfer of the Maynas and Guayaquil provinces from the viceroyalty of New Granada to the viceroyalty of Peru (after having been transferred in the opposite direction once already) before the independence wars. After independence Guayaquil was taken by Quito into Gran Colombia while Maynas remained in Peru.

Aside from that was the resentment of Peru against Gran Colombia due to the separation of Upper Peru into the new nation of Bolivia, which Peru attempted to reconquer after Bolivar left that country to go back to Gran Colombia.

Therefore a war of annexation is possible but neither country had enough of a navy to do more than harass each other and while the capital of Lima could be occupied by amphibious or land assault, the old Inca core in the Andes was far more impregnable to conquest.
 
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