how did napoleon's invasion of spain influence independence movements in latin america?

Napoleon's invasion of Spain in 1808 significantly influenced independence movements in Latin America by destabilizing Spanish colonial authority and creating a power vacuum. When Napoleon forced the Spanish king to abdicate and installed his brother Joseph Bonaparte as the new monarch, many Latin American Creoles (American-born people of European descent) viewed this regime as illegitimate. This delegitimization of Spanish authority sparked political instability and revolutionary sentiments throughout the colonies, leading to the emergence of local governing bodies called juntas that often claimed loyalty to the deposed Spanish crown while pushing for self-rule. These circumstances provided the final catalyst for the independence movements across Latin America, inspiring leaders such as Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín to fight for autonomy and liberation from Spanish rule. The invasion also loosened Spain's control over colonial trade and governance, increasing Creole frustrations with colonial restrictions and enhancing desires for economic and political self-determination. While Enlightenment ideas were already circulating among some educated urban elites, it was these dramatic European political upheavals that converted Creole discontent into active independence struggles starting around 1810. The social and political chaos in Spain, combined with the Creoles' rejection of French-imposed monarchy, directly contributed to the revolutionary wars and the eventual independence of most Spanish American colonies.