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The Sword of Simón Bolívar
InsightSur.com ^ | February 16, 2012 | InsightSur Editor

Posted on 02/16/2012 6:39:59 AM PST by InsightSur

His full name is Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Blanco, and his legacy is equally voluminous.

Born on July 24, 1783, he was serendipitously raised in an age of revolutions, and was one of the key leaders in the struggle for independence from Spain which spread throughout Latin America.

On June 15th, 1813 he dictated his “Decree of War to the Death,” and the rest is history. He would go on to lead Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia to independence from Spain. At one point he was dictator of Peru, president of Colombia, and the entire country of Bolivia was named in his honor.

In 1974 his sword was stolen by the militant group m-19 from a museum in Bogota, Colombia.

Current mayor of Bogota, Gustavo Petro was involved with the group during the time. They were also responsible for the kidnapping of the leader of the conservative party in Colombia in 1988, and the death of Nicolás Escobar Soto who was the CEO of Texas Petroleum in Colombia.

In 1991, the group disbanded, and returned it to officials in Bogota.

Unfortunately, the story does not end there. Since being returned, the sword was apparently placed under lax security, and according to rumors, it has apparently changed hands several times.

Most notably, the sword was claimed to have been passed to Fidel Castro; however, in early 2010, the kidnapping, militant, narcotrafficking group FARC claimed ownership of the sword.

The claim is largely unsubstantiated, and the sword’s current location has not been confirmed.


TOPICS: History; Miscellaneous; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: farc; godsgravesglyphs; gustavopetro; m19; simnbolvar; simonbolivar
Unfortunate intrigue surrounding such an important relic.
1 posted on 02/16/2012 6:40:05 AM PST by InsightSur
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To: InsightSur

On this date 150 years ago, his namesake, Simon Bolivar Buckner, surrendered Fort Donelson to Ulysses S. Grant (his former roommate at West Point) after Grant sent his “unconditional surrender” demand.


2 posted on 02/16/2012 7:03:34 AM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: Verginius Rufus

Wow. I had no idea!

How serendipitous ;)


3 posted on 02/16/2012 7:12:32 AM PST by InsightSur (Covering relevant geopolitical events concerning Latin America)
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To: InsightSur
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Blanco

But his friends just call him Larry.....(I don't know why)

4 posted on 02/16/2012 7:17:59 AM PST by Hot Tabasco (The only solution to this primary is a shoot out! Last person standing picks the candidate)
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To: InsightSur

Funny how the left has picked up his sword when Bolivar believed in the American constitution and the free markets of Adam Smith. Unfortunately for Latin America he was not able to implement his beliefs there.


5 posted on 02/16/2012 7:37:41 AM PST by Nateman (If liberals are not screaming you are doing it wrong!)
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To: Hot Tabasco
Obviously you don't properly appreciate Spanish nobility.

In Candide the name of the governor of Buenos Aires is Don Fernando d'Ibaraa y Figueroa y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y Souza.

Voltaire finds that amusing. Do you want to be like Voltaire?

6 posted on 02/16/2012 7:51:10 AM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: InsightSur

His son, who had the same name, was in command of the US invasion of Okinawa in 1945—which began on the elder Buckner’s birthday.


7 posted on 02/16/2012 7:54:13 AM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: Nateman

Your point is an excellent one. Let them keep Che for their hypocritical t-shirts. Leave Bolivar’s sword alone.

Re: the US Constitution, it seems that he may have had more respect for it than our own Supreme Court!

“I would not look to the United States Constitution if I were drafting a constitution in the year 2012,” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

How sad.


8 posted on 02/16/2012 8:01:46 AM PST by InsightSur (Covering relevant geopolitical events concerning Latin America)
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To: Verginius Rufus

Your posts may be fodder for my next post, “The Tangental Military History of Simon Bolivar through Namesakes of No Blood Relation”


9 posted on 02/16/2012 8:04:53 AM PST by InsightSur (Covering relevant geopolitical events concerning Latin America)
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To: Nateman

I’d like to clarify my perspective of some of those revolutionary heroes.

It seems that many lacked George Washington’s unique ability to be a succesful general, and follow it as a succesful leader.

Any suggested reading material is welcome. I’m looking at this as a starting point: Americanos: Latin America’s Struggle for Independence (Pivotal Moments in World History) by John Chasteen.


10 posted on 02/16/2012 8:25:13 AM PST by InsightSur (Covering relevant geopolitical events concerning Latin America)
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To: InsightSur

I could use a constitution without the Income tax or the direct election of Senators. Not only that but a tighter description of the commerce clause so that ever power under the sun could not be hung from it as it is today. Other than that I rather make do without Ginsburg. (Or Sotomayor ,Kagen and Breyer)


11 posted on 02/16/2012 9:17:38 AM PST by Nateman (If liberals are not screaming you are doing it wrong!)
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To: InsightSur

In Washington’s time Cato was well known along with Cincinnatus. Cato was a Roman of towering integrity who committed suicide rather than submit to Ceasar’s rule. Cincinnatus was drafted to be a military dictator and when his need was done he went back to his farm. Washington based leadership on these two men.


12 posted on 02/16/2012 9:26:00 AM PST by Nateman (If liberals are not screaming you are doing it wrong!)
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To: Verginius Rufus
Voltaire finds that amusing. Do you want to be like Voltaire?

Voltaire? I've heard of him, he's the Greek god of electricity isn't he?

13 posted on 02/16/2012 1:27:49 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (The only solution to this primary is a shoot out! Last person standing picks the candidate)
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To: InsightSur

I wouldn’t look to Ruth Bader Ginsburg if I were looking for justice in the year 2012.


14 posted on 02/16/2012 2:31:07 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj
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To: Hot Tabasco

Exactly—that’s why we measure electricity in “volts.”


15 posted on 02/16/2012 2:49:35 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
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 GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach
Thanks InsightSur.

Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.


16 posted on 02/16/2012 5:24:05 PM PST by SunkenCiv (FReep this FReepathon!)
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To: InsightSur

“I would not look to the United States Constitution if I were drafting a constitution in the year 2012,” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

High Treason from an oath breaker. Were her fingers crossed every time she said the Pledge of Allegiance?

Almost as bad as the half black individual occupying the White House.

Accountability? There is none, and therein lies part of the problem.


17 posted on 02/17/2012 1:59:16 AM PST by wita
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