History of Chile the Spaniards at the Battle of Chacabuco on February 12 and marking the beginning of the "Patria Nueva". San Martín considered the liberation of Chile a strategic stepping-stone to the emancipation of Peru, which he saw as the key to hemispheric victory over the Spanish. Chile won its formal independence when San Martín defeated the last large Spanish force on Chilean soil at the Battle of Maipú on April 5, 1818. San Martín then led his Argentine and Chilean followers north to liberate Peru; and fighting continued in Chile's southern provinces, the bastion of the royalists, until 1826. A declaration
Republic of Independent Guiana Adolphe Brezet self-proclaimed himself "Président de l'État libre de Counani". This "special" State had a constitution, a flag and issued some stamps. It was never recognized by Brazil or France, but the South African Boer Republics opened diplomatic relations with Brezet (who had fought for them previously) during the Boer wars. All claimants of head of state of Counani were Frenchmen: Republic of Independent Guiana The Republic of Independent Guiana () commonly referred to by the name of the capital Counani (rendered "Cunani" in Portuguese by the Brazilians), was a short-lived independent state in South America. "Counani" was created on