Comin' Up With a Country: The Congress of Cúcuta, 1821

Spanish/English Bilingual

APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 25 delegates

NOTE: Position papers for this committee should be written in Spanish. If you have any questions, please email the Chair and Crisis Manager.

Throughout the early 19th century, much of South America fought long and hard to break free from Spanish colonial rule. One man who paved the way for Latin American Independence was Simón Bolívar, who led military campaigns across the continent to liberate the territories of modern-day Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. As these states grappled with the idea of independence, Bolivar and many of his fellow political and cultural leaders began advocating for a unified Latin America. The liberation of modern-day Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama therefore led to the formation of the Republic of Gran Colombia in December 1819, filling the region with a newfound sense of hope and purpose. However, there was a pressing need for a more comprehensive and permanent constitution to define the political structure, legal system, and rights of citizens in the newly independent state. This predicament drove Simon Bolivar to create the Congress of Cúcuta, where he hoped to make his dream of uniting an independent South America a reality. In this committee, delegates will take on the role of senior members of the independence movement as they meet to begin planning a new country. They will have to produce directives illustrating their vision for the new nation while responding to the power dynamics, regional disagreements, and voting disputes that arise during the conference, keeping the fragile coalition together and the dream of Gran Colombia. As a bilingual committee, delegates will be able to truly engage with the political and cultural significance of the event by speaking and writing in Spanish throughout!

CHAIR: Adriana De la Calle Viscasillas

ISSUES TO CONSIDER

Structuring the New Government

Church-State Relations and the Rights of Citizens

Fiscal Policy and Economic Development

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

NAIMUN prides itself on promoting international education to the highest caliber. In this committee, delegates will:

• Craft a new nation, defining its structure, laws, and citizen rights through directives, coming to understand the challenges of nation-building.

• Navigate gaining recognition and facing external threats, developing diplomatic skills while exploring the complexities of a new nation's foreign policy.

• Explore the concept of a unified Latin American culture, considering regional diversity and challenges in fostering a shared identity.

About the Chair

Adriana De la Calle Viscasillas is a member of the Class of 2026 in the Walsh School of Foreign Service, studying International Politics with a concentration in Foreign Policy and minoring in French and International Development. Adriana is originally from Spain but grew up in Nicaragua, where she discovered her passion for Model UN by joining her school’s club in 2019 and participating in her first-ever conference, NAIMUN LVII. Since then, she has been actively involved with MUN as a delegate, staffer, and most recently as an Under-Secretary-General for Historical Crisis at NAIMUN LXI. Outside of MUN, Adriana enjoys playing tennis for Georgetown’s Club Tennis Team, working with small nonprofits through Georgetown Global Consulting, and serving as a student liaison for Hispanic Ministry. In her free time, she enjoys water sports, going down the Wikipedia rabbit holes, trying new foods, and memorizing reggaetón song lyrics. As your Chair, Adriana is excited to share the same passion for debate, history, and international affairs she discovered as a NAIMUN delegate and make this committee an unforgettable experience for all! 

About the Crisis manager

Sergio Rodríguez Cifuentes is a member of the Class of 2025 in the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, majoring in International Economics with minors in Statistics and International Business Diplomacy. Born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia (notice a pattern here with the committee’s topic?), Sergio now calls Singapore home. Sergio discovered MUN in middle school, where he first competed at his school’s Model UN conference. Since then, he has been involved in the MUN community, being a USG for the historical crisis organ at NAIMUN LX. This conference will be Sergio’s fourth and last NAIMUN :/. Outside of MUN, Sergio works in the Georgetown Writing Center as a tutor, conducts research in the Economics Department, and is a TA for “Maps of the Modern World.” In his free time, he enjoys listening to classical music, watching movies, cooking with his friends, and learning new words in several languages. Sergio is extremely excited to serve as Crisis Manager for the Congress of Cúcuta!