Un análisis pragmaretórico de los discursos de Simón Bolívar dirigidos a los colombianos (1821-1830)
A Pragma-rhetorical Analysis of Simon Bolivar’s Speeches Given in Front of the Colombians (1821-1830)

Summary/Abstract: Simón Bolívar was the president of Colombia in 1819 and between 1821-1830. The Liberator led the fight for independence in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. In this paper we will analyze from the point of view of pragmatics and rhetoric the following speeches: “The inaugural address as President of Colombia” (1821), “To the attention of Colombians” (1827), “Message to the Constituent Congress of the Republic of Colombia” (1830) and “Final Proclamation of the Liberator (1830). In all the speeches, the ethos of the orator is construed in a detailed manner, as Simón Bolívar tries to persuade the audience, by highlighting his moral character and everything he had done for the Colombians. We can notice how directive speech acts and commissive speech acts (Bach and Harnish, 1979) are reinforced by informal fallacies (Bordes Solanas, 2011) and metaphors. Antitheses, personifications and anaphoras are salient in his speeches. Simón Bolívar presents himself as the leader of the heart of the people, the son of war and he mentions in his inaugural address that he would like to be a good citizen and give up on the title of Liberator, as “the former emanates from laws, while the latter emanates from war”.

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