By this time, the forces of independence had grown continental in scope and were organized into two principal armies, one under the Venezuelan Simón Bolívar in the north and the other under the Argentine José de San Martín in the south.
På den tid var frihedbevægelsens styrker vokset kontinentalt og var opdelte i to store hære, en ledet af venezuelaneren Simón Bolívars Palacios mod nord og en anden under ledelse af argentineren José de San Martin mod syd.