WI Gran Colombia doesn't fail?

[csa945]

One of Wikipedia's featured stories was the OAS election that stalemated today. In the background it gave information about Simon Bolivar and Gran Colombia, comparing it to the OAS.

Gran Colombia encompassed what is today Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela, but it fell apart in 1830 due to internal strife.

What if it had succeeded? Could it have been a hemispheric rival to the USA?

 

[Condottiero]

If they managed to achieve political estability and to attract part of the immigration that went to the US, let's say italians and irish. I think it could have been a rival...

 

[cow defender]

oh lord, gran colombia has always been a love of mine. and simon bolivar, i have a painting of him on my wall, haha, alright well. no they probably could not have been a rival to the us b/c gc was far too unstable. spanish rule certainly did not train them for home rule and the way they broke didnt help any. i don't see any way for the hole of south america to remain united and independent from spain the same way it happeend otl (the pod would have to be farther back and have some cultural-political-sociological signifigance. the provincial differences were already set in place by this time.

unfortunately even bolivar realized that it recquired a strongman to subdue latin america. so basically waht it would recquire for a long living gran colubia would be a serious of 'good presidents' who rule for life or so. bolivar would probably be the first one but after that i don't know.

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