Colombian President Gustavo Petro has renewed his call for the reconstruction of “La Gran Colombia,” proposing a confederation of autonomous nations to be established through a popular constituent vote.
The proposal, announced via social media on Saturday, comes just one week after the United States military captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. Petro’s vision seeks to revive the 19th-century state — which comprised modern-day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela — as a defensive and economic bloc, a move critics view as a populist strategic pivot amid heightened regional tensions and U.S. interventionism.
In a post where a map of the former state was attached, Petro said, “This is the Gran Colombia, it was Bolivar’s idea, and I propose by constituent vote of the population that we reconstruct it as a confederation of autonomous nations.” He outlined a vision for a common commercial policy focused on industrialization, clean energy, and high-tech infrastructure, managed by a “Grancolombiano Parliament” and a Tribunal of Justice similar to the European Union.
Petro had called for the re-founding of La Gran Colombia before
This is not the first time the Colombian president has championed the restoration of Simon Bolivar’s dream. Petro has consistently utilized the imagery of a unified Latin American left to consolidate political influence.
In May 2024, during the inauguration of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, Petro proposed a “long process” of treaties involving common citizenship, a virtual currency, and the integration of academic titles. He echoed these sentiments again in July 2025 during a CELAC ministerial meeting, suggesting that the Grancolombiano project could serve as a global model for “clean energy integration.”
However, the timing of the latest proposal is seen as a direct reaction to the actions of the Second Trump Administration. Following the arrest of Maduro, Petro has called for “popular resistance,” framing the reunification of the former territories, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama, as a necessary shield against what he terms U.S. “aggression.”
What was Gran Colombia?
The original Republic of Colombia, now known as “Gran Colombia” to distinguish it from the modern state, was a short-lived but powerful nation that existed between 1819 and 1831.
Conceived by “The Liberator” Simon Bolivar and formalized at the Congress of Angostura, it united the former Spanish colonial territories of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, the Captaincy General of Venezuela, and later the Presidency of Quito. At its height, it was considered one of the most prestigious and powerful nations in the Western Hemisphere.
Diplomats of the era, including future U.S. President John Quincy Adams, viewed it as a potential global power capable of rivaling European empires.
Why the union dissolved
Despite its prestige, the original Gran Colombia collapsed after only 12 years due to a combination of internal and external factors. A deep ideological divide emerged between “Bolivarianos,” who favored a strong, centralized presidency, and “Santanderistas,” led by Francisco de Paula Santander, who advocated for federalism and constitutional rule of law.
Local elites in Caracas and Quito resented being governed from Bogota. In 1826, the “Cosiata” separatist movement in Venezuela, led by General Jose Antonio Paez, signaled the beginning of the end of the union, as the chain of command broke and resentment toward Granadinos grew. Additionally, the vast territory lacked adequate communication routes and infrastructure, making it nearly impossible to manage the distant provinces effectively from a central capital.
By 1830, both Venezuela and Ecuador had declared their independence. Bolivar, suffering from tuberculosis and disillusioned by the fragmentation of his dream, resigned the presidency shortly before his death in December of that year. The state was officially dissolved in 1831, giving rise to the modern republics of Venezuela, Ecuador, and Nueva Granada, today’s Colombia and Panama.
Critics of Petro’s new proposal, including former Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez, have urged the president to “keep his feet on the ground.” Lopez argued that instead of chasing historical ghosts, the government should focus on the upcoming diplomatic meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and address the immediate security crisis on the Venezuelan border.