Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader. Together with José de San Martín, he played a key role in Latin America's successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire. Following the triumph over the Spanish Monarchy, Bolívar participated in the foundation of the first union of independent nations in Latin America, which was named Gran Colombia, and of which he was president from 1819 to 1830. Simón Bolívar is regarded in Latin America as a hero, visionary, revolutionary, and liberator. During his short life, he led Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela to independence, and helped lay the foundations for democratic ideology in much of Hispanic America. For this reason he is often referred to as the "George Washington of South America".[