The student writing an essay on the causes of independence movements in Latin America and the Caribbean would most likely include Enlightenment ideas.
Enlightenment ideas, such as liberty, equality, and self-determination, significantly influenced independence movements across the region. Other factors, such as social inequalities, colonial rule, and economic exploitation, also played critical roles, but the Enlightenment provided the ideological foundation for many of the leaders and intellectuals supporting independence.
The other options—religious persecution, the absence of slavery, and decentralized government—may have had varying degrees of relevance in specific contexts, but Enlightenment ideas are widely recognized as a key influence on independence movements.