Why did the new Latin American republics reject colonial Baroque architecture?

The new Latin American republics rejected colonial Baroque architecture primarily as a political and cultural reaction against 300 years of Spanish rule. Following the independence movements between 1810 and 1870, these nations sought to distance themselves from the pervasive style associated with their former colonizer.1

To transform their cities into modern, cosmopolitan centers, the new republics turned toward France and Italy for inspiration. They adopted the Neoclassical model for new public institutions and embraced the French model of tree-lined boulevards for urban expansion, heavily influenced by the urban design of Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann in Paris. This shift was part of a broader political effort to modernize social structures and participate in international markets through newly diversified export economies.1

While this rejection of the Baroque was widespread during the mid-19th century, it is worth noting that a later search for national identity in the early 20th century eventually led to a revalorization of colonial architecture and the emergence of various Neocolonial and Neo-Baroque styles.2