Simon Bolivar | Origin of Street Names

Simon Hose Antonio de la Santisima Trinidad Bolivar Palacios (1783 - 1830) was a South American revolutionary and leader of the struggle for independence of Latin American states, where he is now regarded as an absolute hero and liberator from the "Spanish boot."

He was born in Caracas, the capital of present-day Venezuela, which at the time was part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, a constituent part of the vast Spanish Empire. His family, of Basque aristocratic origin, settled in Venezuela during the 16th century as part of one of the waves of colonization of the "New World."

Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by close relatives, governesses, and tutors. He received his education in Spain, where he acquired a broad knowledge influenced by the works of Montesquieu and Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the liberal Enlightenment, which would greatly shape his life path.

Inspired by the ideas of the French and American revolutions and driven by a great desire for glory, Simon Bolivar took the lead in the movement for the liberation and independence of Latin America upon his return to Venezuela in 1807.

He aspired to the unity of the South American states, following the example of the United States, and advocated for the complete abolition of slavery, which entailed a fundamental change in the existing economic, legal, and social order in Latin America, which was built on slavery. On the other hand, he believed that the heterogeneous and long-oppressed society of South American countries was not sufficiently "mature" for the establishment of a democratic republic, advocating for the establishment of a certain type of dictatorship (with him at the helm).

A great number of battles fought in the following years throughout New Granada against Spanish imperialists and internal opponents of Bolivar's ideas resulted in the proclamation of independent republics: Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. The latter was named after its liberator, and since 1999, Venezuela has also carried the prefix "Bolivarian Republic" in its name.

Known as "El Libertador" (The Liberator), Simon Bolivar died of tuberculosis at the age of 48. He considered the title bestowed upon him by the people to be greater and more important than that of emperor or king.

Today, numerous streets, squares, and institutions in almost all countries of South America, as well as many countries around the world, bear the name of the Latin American father of the nation.

Symbolically, one street in the Zemun neighborhood of Plavi Horizonti also carries the name of Simon Bolivar.