Which happened first?

Question

President Monroe issued a warning to European nations to keep out of the Western Hemisphere.

Or

Spanish colonies in Latin America became independent nations.

Answer 1

Spanish Colonies were 'revolting' a decade before President Monroe made his proclamation in 1823....

a few random examples...

http://www.ddg.com/LIS/aurelia/chihis.htm
"""Independence was first declared in 1810. At that time, central Chile was to a large extend controlled by a small, upper class of Creoles (locally born Europeans), most of them owned large estates. A period of internal instability and striffe followed, which resulted in the restoration of Spanish rule in 1814. Combined Argentinian and Chilean forces under Jose de San Martin and Bernardo O'Higgins, who crossed the Andes from Argentina, managed to defeat and drive out the Spanish army and restore Chile's independence (1818). O'Higgins became Chile's first president.""
http://www.ddg.com/LIS/aurelia/ecuhis.htm
http://www.ddg.com/LIS/aurelia/colhis.htm
"""In 1811 the populationin parts of Colombia rose up against Spanish colonial rule. A period of armed struggle followed. "Greater Colombia" whose independence was declared in 1819, extended over the former Viceroyalty. It disolved in 1830, when Venezuela and Ecuador declared their independence. Colombia and Panama became the Republic of New Granada. Political and economic rivarly between the different social groups plunged the country in a long period of internal instablility with intermittent civil wars and dictatorships. This continued into the twentieth century. In an attempt to overcome the regional conflict and dissension, the country was given a new Constitution and, in 1863, turned in a Federation of nine states called the United States of Colombia.""

// --------- O . u . O ---------- \\\ Peace...............

Answer 2

The Monroe Doctrine was issued in 1823, but a lot of the Independence movements in South America started before that. Some Spanish Colonies were already independent before this and some became independents after-wards, so I guess I call it a tie, but the Monroe Doctrine was in response to this movement in South America.

Check out this webpage for Wikipedia. There is a map to it that should be very interesting to you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_American_wars_of_independence