London’s Global University - Shaping Representative Government: The Divergent Paths of Liberal Thought in Colombia and Chile, 1818-1853 - Doctor of Philosophy Thesis

Aug 29, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob

The Latin American republican experiments in the early nineteenth century were long overlooked in global histories of democracy, and Latin American political thought was often treated as derivative. This thesis re-examines Colombia and Chile within revisionist debates, tracing how political thinkers between 1818 and 1853 argued about representative institutions. It argues that two contrasting models of political modernity emerged in Spanish America, differing over free government and the institutional designs required to preserve liberty, while sharing aims to protect individual freedoms and curb arbitrary power.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages286

Reading Time12 h 1 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Impact Statement

Acknowledgements

London’s Global University Shaping Representative Government: The Divergent Paths of Liberal Thought in Colombia and Chile, 1818-1853. Jorge Andrés Varela Yepes University College London Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Research Degree: History 2024 I, Jorge Andrés Varela Yepes, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. Acknowledgements I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Professor Nicola Miller for believing in this project and for her unlimited support and unconditional guidance. I am also very grateful to Dr. Chloe Ireton , whose challenging questions and encouragement made me think about my thesis in new ways. Along the process, they helped me become a better writer and, hopefully, a much better historian. I also want to thank Dr. William Selinger for guiding me through the early stages of this dissertation. I could not have completed this thesis without funding from the Colombian Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Institute of Historical Research at the School of Advanced Studies – University of London, where I was welcomed into an amazing scholarly space. I met a wonderful community of Latin American historians at UCL and throughout the UK, who were a constant source of intellectual exchange and personal support. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Stephanie Ashton, who was a great friend and colleague for the entire PhD. I also want to thank Laura Montenegro Helfer, Camilo Uribe-Botta, José Manuel Castro, Pablo Soffia, Alfred Hinrichsen, Natalia Gándara, Nicolás Camino, Edisson Aguilar, Mercedes Crisóstomo, and Tomás Mantilla. I am grateful to the Latin American History seminar at the University of Oxford, which I attended during my PhD last year and encountered marvellous and generous colleagues. They all certainly made the PhD more enjoyable and stimulating. Words cannot express my gratitude to all the friends who supported me during this journey , particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Without them, this endeavour would have proved impossible to accomplish. Special thanks to Ingrid Vanessa Zambrano, for being the best friend and flatmate , and to Cristina Mazo and family, who welcomed me into their house during the pandemic. I am also greatly indebted to Nancy Daza Báez, Nestor González, Andrei GómezSuárez, Alejandro Posada, Carlos Navarrete, Pilar Torres, Diego Celis, and Luis Carlos Guevera, for their invaluable friendship. I would like to give special recognition to Ángela Pérez-Villa, who occupies a unique place on this list. She is the most precious gift life gave me during these years of academic endeavour. Our encounter was certainly improbable, but a new life emerged out of it. I feel immensely grateful for her love, and the unforgettable times together. I hope that this thesis is just the beginning of the many exciting journeys that lie ahead for us. Days before embarking on the PhD program , I had a conversation with my grandfather who proudly commented on the progress we had made as a family. He pointed out that he barely went to elementary school in his small town in the middle of nowhere in rural Colombia. Two generations later, his grandchild would start a PhD at a top university in London. This thesis is the testimony of that amazing story. My family has shown me that education and hard work are the way to excel, and I dedicate this thesis to them. Above all, I want to express my most profound gratitude to my parents, Marta Lucía Yepes Cardona and Jorge de Jesús Varela Urrego , for their unconditional love, support, and deep commitment to my education. They made the greatest personal and economic efforts to help me achieve this dream. Abstract The Latin American republican experiments in the early nineteenth century were, until not so long ago, overlooked i

FAQs

What central comparison does the thesis make?

The thesis compares Colombia and Chile’s early republican political development, focusing on how thinkers between 1818 and 1853 debated representative institutions.

What are the two contrasting models the thesis identifies?

It argues for two models of political modernity: one tied to republican liberty and the primacy of Congress, and another prioritizing rights through conservative elite mediation.

How does the thesis explain the role of liberal thought?

Both models are presented as conceived within liberal thought, aiming to protect individual liberties and prevent arbitrary power, even though they differed in how liberty should be secured.

Aug 29, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob