Statue of Simón Bolívar

The statue of Simón Bolívar, in Cadix

The equestrian statue of Simón Bolívar, in Cadix, was offered by Venezuela in 1974 to recall the historic links between the two banks of the Atlantic. The Cadix audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this monument dedicated to the Libertador of Latin America, and the role of Cadix, the great Spanish port towards the colonies, in the common history of Spain and the New World.

The Libertador and the gateway to the Americas

Here you are in front of the equestrian statue of Simón Bolívar. Inaugurated in 1974, it was offered by Venezuela to the town of Cadix to recall the historic links between the two banks of the Atlantic. From the eighteenth to the beginning of the nineteenth century, Cadix was indeed the great Spanish port towards America: hundreds of ships left from here towards Caracas, Bogotá or Lima, making the town the gateway of all the colonial trade. Bolívar, born in Caracas in 1783, is the great figure of Latin American independence. Nicknamed El Libertador, he led the campaigns that freed several countries from Spanish domination. He is a heroic figure in Latin America, but his memory remains more nuanced on this side of the Atlantic, because the wars of independence were extremely violent and marked by heavy human losses on both sides. It is fitting to evoke this history with measure and respect, keeping in mind the sufferings it engendered. In 2022, a Spanish association even requested the removal of the statue, a request that remained without follow-up. Whatever the case, the monument testifies, in its way, to the deep and complex links that unite Cadix to the American continent, of which it was so long the gateway. It is located not far from the seaside, that you reach in a few minutes. An equestrian monument and a transatlantic memory, the statue of Simón Bolívar is a fine stop of the discovery of Cadix.

What to see

Here you discover the equestrian statue of Simón Bolívar, offered by Venezuela in 1974 to recall the links between the two banks of the Atlantic; born in Caracas in 1783, the Libertador led the campaigns of Latin American independence, a heroic figure there but with a more nuanced memory in Spain, due to the violence of these wars. The statue evokes the role of Cadix as the great gateway to the Americas. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The statue of Simón Bolívar lies not far from the seaside of Cadix, reachable on foot. It is a monument in free access in the public space, that you discover during a walk towards the seafront.

Why is there a statue of Simón Bolívar in Cadix?

Because it was offered by Venezuela in 1974 to recall the historic links between the two banks of the Atlantic: Cadix was, from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century, the great Spanish port towards America. Born in Caracas in 1783, the Libertador led Latin American independence, a heroic figure there but with a more nuanced memory in Spain due to the violence of these wars.

Where is the statue of Simón Bolívar in Cadix?

Not far from the seaside of Cadix, in Spain.