I don't doubt that Mariscal Andres de Santa Cruz is one of the most influential and potent rulers of Bolivia, back in the post-colonial days. Bolivia gained independence from the Spanish conquistadors via the Bolivian War of Independence (named after the hero Simon Bolivar), beginning in the early 18th century. It took sixteen years of strife for the Bolivians to stand on their own feet and set up a republic. After this, come fruitful decades of prosperity as well as political instability.
