Category: Libertadores
Statues of figures from the wars for Latin American independence
General José de San Martín
“Let us be free, the rest matters not.”
In the corner of the intersection of Virginia Ave. and 20th St. stands the equestrian statue of one of South America’s greatest leaders. In between the Office of Personnel Management and the State Department, the statue sees thousands pass by it daily, but the legacy of General José de San Martín has been largely forgotten in North America.
Equestrian Statues
“Equestrian statues have always served, through the centuries, a kind of epic purpose.”
Although Washington, D.C., is a city known for its statuary, the most compelling – and the most admired – are the statues of a horse and its rider. There are over 20 such statues in the District (more than any other American city) and they represent not just Americans, but foreigners and even ideals.
Benito Juárez
“Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace.”
Standing in front of the Watergate Hotel and the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia is the statue of one of the most prominent leaders in Mexican history – Benito Juárez. Facing north, with a stand of trees behind it, the visage of the statue is often shaded and overlooked. Add to that its distance from the National Mall and it’s easy to understand why few know of its existence.
Dedicated in 1969 in a ceremony attended by U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Mexican Foreign Minister Antonio Carrillo Flores, the statue was a gift from Mexico in exchange for a statue of Abraham Lincoln that the U.S. had given to the Mexican government in 1966.
General José Gervasio Artigas Arnal
“Liberty of America is my design and its attainment my only objective.”
In a small park at the intersection of Constitution and Virginia Avenues stands one of the early leaders of South American independence, José Gervasio Artigas Arnal. Crowned by a copse of trees and frequently flanked by tour buses, this 9-foot bronze statue is often overlooked despite the heavy traffic that swarms around it.
