 As he reflects on the past , the General often thinks and dreams about his former friend Francisco de Paula Santander . The historical Francisco de Paula Santander was a friend of Simón Bolívar , but was later accused of complicity in a plot to assassinate him and sent into exile . In the novel , the General remembers that he had once appointed Santander to govern Colombia because he believed him to be an effective and brave soldier . He formerly regarded Santander as " his other self , and perhaps his better self " , but by the time of the events in The General in His Labyrinth Santander has become the General 's enemy and has been banished to Paris after his involvement in the assassination attempt . The General is depicted as tormented by the idea that Santander will return from his exile in France ; he dreams , for example , that Santander is eating the pages of a book , that he is covered in cockroaches , and that he is plucking out his own eyeballs . 
 As he <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>reflects</mark></a> on the past , the General often <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>thinks</mark></a> and dreams about his former friend Francisco de Paula Santander . The historical Francisco de Paula Santander was a friend of Simón Bolívar , but was later accused of complicity in a plot to assassinate him and sent into exile . In the novel , the General <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>remembers</mark></a> that he <a href='been_done' title='4'><mark>had</mark></a> once appointed Santander to govern Colombia because he believed him to be an effective and brave soldier . He formerly regarded Santander as " his other self , and perhaps his better self " , but by the time of the events in The General in His Labyrinth Santander <a href='been_done' title='5'><mark>has</mark></a> become the General <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>enemy and <a href='been_done' title='7'><mark>has</mark></a> been banished to Paris after his involvement in the assassination attempt . The General is depicted as tormented by the idea that Santander will return from his exile in France ; he <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>dreams</mark></a> , for example , that Santander is eating the pages of a book , that he is covered in cockroaches , and that he is plucking out his own eyeballs . 
As he reflect on the past , the General often think and dreams about his former homie Francisco de Paula Santander . da historical Francisco de Paula Santander was a fhomieof Simón Bolívar , but was later accused of complicity in a plot to assassinate em and sent into exile . In tdanovel , thdaeneral rememba that he done once appointed Santander to govern Colombia because he believed him to b an effective and brave soldier . He formerly regarded Santander as " his other self , and perhaps his better self " , but by the time of the events in The General in His Labyrinth Santander done become the General  enemy and done been banished to Paris after his involvement in thedasassination attempt . The General is depicted as tormented by the idea that Santander will return from his exile in France ; he dream , fa example , dat Santander is eating the pages of a book , tdathe is covered in cockroaches , and that he is plucking outt his own eyeballs .