 At the beginning of the novel , the General is 46 years old and slowly dying on his last journey to the port of Cartagena de Indias , where he plans to set sail for Europe . As Palencia @-@ Roth notes , " Bolívar is cast here not only as a victim but as an agent of Latin America 's tragic political flaws " . The fortunes of the historical Simón Bolívar began to decline in 1824 after the victory of his general Antonio José de Sucre at Ayacucho . The novel draws on the fact that the historical Bolívar never remarried after the death of his wife , María Teresa Rodríguez del Toro y Alayza . García Márquez uses other documented facts as starting points for his fictional portrait of Bolívar – for example , his dedication to the army above all else , his premature aging , and his bad temper . Of the latter , Bolívar 's aide @-@ de @-@ camp O 'Leary once remarked that " his imperious and impatient temperament would never tolerate the smallest delay in the execution of an order " . 
 At the beginning of the novel , the General <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>is</mark></a>46 years old and slowly dying on his last journey to the port of Cartagena de Indias , where he <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>plans</mark></a> to set sail for Europe . As Palencia @-@ Roth <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>notes</mark></a> , " Bolívar is cast here not only as a victim but as an agent of Latin America <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>tragic political flaws " . The fortunes of the historical Simón Bolívar began to decline in 1824 after the victory of his general Antonio José de Sucre at Ayacucho . The novel <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>draws</mark></a> on the fact that the historical Bolívar never remarried after <a href='None' title='6'><mark>the</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='7'><mark>death</mark></a> of his wife , María Teresa Rodríguez del Toro y Alayza . García Márquez <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>uses</mark></a> other documented facts as starting points for his fictional portrait of Bolívar – for example , his dedication to the army above all else , his premature aging , and his bad temper . Of the latter , Bolívar <a href='null_genetive' title='9'><mark>'s</mark></a>aide @-@ de @-@ camp O 'Leary once remarked that " his imperious and impatient temperament would never tolerate the smallest delay in the execution of an order " . 
At the beginning of the novel , da General 46 years old and slowly dying on his last journey to tdaport of Cartagena de Indias , where he plan to set sail for Europe . As Palencia @-@ Roth note , " Bolívar is cast heaa not only as a victim but as an agent of Latin America  tragic political flaws " . The fortunes of thdaistorical Simón Bolívar began to decline in 1824 after thedactory of his general Antonio José de Sucre at Ayacucho . The novel draw on the fact dat the historical Bolívar never remarried after no death of his wife , María Teresa Rodríguez del Toro y Alayza . García Márquez use other documented facts as starting points fir his fictional portrait of Bolívar – for example , his dedication to the army above all else , his premature aging , and his bad temper . Of the dater , Bolívar  aide @-@ de @-@ camp O 'Leary once remarked tdat" his imperious and impatient temperament would never tolerate the smallest delay in the execution of an order " .