His statue.
WILLEMSTAD--“Sociedad Bolivariana de Curazao” on Friday commemorated the 243rd birthday of South American freedom fighter Simón Bolívar (1783-1830) as well as the association’s 89th anniversary. This was done with a wreath-laying ceremony at the statue of Bolívar on the square in front of the Central Bank at Scharloo.
The commemoration was subdued due to the devastating earthquakes of June 24 in Venezuela. Because of this tragedy, it was decided not to hold any musical or dance activities, and the flags in the square were flown at half-mast.
The ceremony following the wreath-laying focused on respect and remembrance for the more than 5,000 people who have died, the more than 20,000 injured and 29,500 missing persons to date. In addition, 850 buildings were damaged and 190 collapsed. There was also a minute of silence in memory of the victims.
Wreath-laying.
The commemoration was further attended by representatives of parliament and various consulates. During a solemn session following the wreath-laying, a message of solidarity called for continued support for the victims at both the government level and from society. This was followed by a brief selection from Bolívar’s philosophy.
He played a key role in the formation of the countries of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Bolivia. In Latin America, he is still known as “El Libertador” (Liberator). Since 2020, Bolívar, along with local heroes Manuel Carlos Piar and Louis Brion has been included in one of the fifty windows of the Canon of Curaçao as heroes of the South American struggle for independence.
