For Bolivar, the fight for independence
was a repeating cycle of victory, defeat,
exile, escaping assassination, and other treachery, as well as reflection. The republic itself was constantly changing form, allying itself with one group, then another. By 1823, the idea of a Greater Colombia had gained wide acceptance. Venezuela was the first area to clear out Spanish troops, and the area that is now Colombia was next. Nations like Peru, Ecuador, and Panama were seeing the faltering Spanish forces and declaring their independence. Bolivar wanted these new nations to join a Greater Colombia.