Gran Colombia was a centralist country formed after New Granada declared independence in 1819, initially made up of New Granada and Venezuela. The rebels, led by Simon Bolivar, defeated the Spanish Empire but then fought among themselves. In 1831 Venezuela and Ecuador, being the eastern and southern part of the country, declared independence from Gran Colombia due to political differences. After that the remaining territory was of New Granada. Decades later, Panama also became independent from Colombia with help from the United States. view more...