OAS HAILS SIMON BOLIVAR AS SYMBOL OF FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND EQUALITY

The Organization of American States today marked the 218^th anniversary of the birth of Simón Bolívar, The Liberator, noting how this visionary's ideals, two centuries later, are still the frame of reference in the quest for freedom, justice and equality in the Americas.

Presiding over a protocolary meeting of the OAS Permanent Council, Costa Rica's Ambassador Hernán R. Castro, highlighted the fact that the OAS was made up of states whose governments have faithfully adhered to the principles for which Bolívar fought. He remarked that, "as the Hemisphere's main political forum, the OAS has a mission to continue to help consolidate individual freedoms, fight poverty and promote access to education, culture and knowledge in general."

Turning to the resolution on the Inter-American Democratic Charter, adopted in San José, Costa Rica, the Chairman said "when we gather in Lima, Peru, we ought to approve this important instrument which will mean that, vis-à-vis the rest of the world, we are among the most effective regions in terms of our commitment to fully practice the rights for which The Liberator so tenaciously fought."

In his tribute to this brilliant warrior, soldier, statesman and leader, OAS Secretary General César Gaviria credited Bolívar as "the source of many of the foremost ideas that guide us today. He was a man who could see two centuries into the future of the Americas." Gaviria cited the 1826 Amphictyonic Congress of Panama as the source of most of Bolívar's ideas, declaring that "the first democratic clause proposed in our Hemisphere was put forth by Bolívar himself at the Amphictyonic Congress of Panama."

Paying homage as well, Ambassador Jorge Valero of Venezuela, where Simón Bolívar was born, drew on the popular songs and poetry of Latin America, adding that "Bolívar's philosophy remains the best frame of reference in the quest for freedom, justice and equality." He said Bolívar uniquely embodies the deepest yearning of the people. "Bolívar's humanity is so overwhelming because, while tenaciously holding up the flag of the republican ideals, he sacrificed his life, honor and wealth to benefit the forgotten and the dispossessed."

The special Permanent Council session was preceded by a wreath-laying ceremony at Bolívar's statue in the Washington D.C. plaza named for him, next door to OAS Headquarters.

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