Anita Arnon

Exactly.

In the remote Venezuelan interior.

And, you know, this changes everything, William, because these interiors, as Liberture found, you know, they're isolated from the main Spanish forces.

So, you know, he can rebuild his army.

He can get out his intelligence without interference.

But what he really needs, even now, is soldiers.

Well, from a really surprising quarter, because it's when the British arrive.

Now, I find this also completely fascinating about this episode in South American history.

Tell us about the Brits at this time, because 1815, when he's writing his Jamaica letter, pretty pivotal moment for the Brits as well.

But they're fighters and they're around.

I mean, it's not an inconsequential number, about 4,000 of them.

Well, it swells the army.

After they arrive, Bolivar now has 9,000 men.

So it's almost doubles his forces.

They're still far smaller than the Spanish forces, but these guys are battle-hardened and they are hungry for a fight.

And they are also, you know, fuelled on victory.

They've just beaten Napoleon.

They're looking for somebody else to beat.

And the Spanish, never been very friendly to the Spanish.

Some of the notable soldiers to join this side include a man called James Rook, whose battalion is this hodgepodge of British and Irish veterans from the Napoleonic Wars and the North American Wars.