July 24: The Day Four Nations Celebrate One Man's Birthday

On July 24 each year, something remarkable happens across South America: multiple nations pause to celebrate the birthday of a man who died nearly 200 years ago. No other figure in the hemisphere commands such transnational reverence.

The Celebrations

Venezuela: July 24 is a national public holiday. Flag-raising ceremonies occur at government buildings nationwide. Schools teach special lessons about the Liberator. Caracas holds commemorations at Bolívar's birthplace and the National Pantheon where his remains lie.

Ecuador: "Natalicio de Simón Bolívar" is an official national holiday. Government offices close. The military holds ceremonies. Politicians lay wreaths at Bolívar monuments.

Colombia & Bolivia: While not always a full public holiday, official commemorations occur. Government events honor Bolívar's legacy. The day is marked on official calendars.

Why It Matters

Think about what this means. These are sovereign nations with their own heroes, their own histories, their own national narratives. Yet they all set aside a day to honor the same person—a Venezuelan who founded Colombia, liberated Ecuador, and gave Bolivia its name.

No other figure commands this kind of cross-border reverence in the Western Hemisphere. George Washington is celebrated in the United States, not Canada or Mexico. San Martín is honored in Argentina, less so elsewhere. Only Bolívar belongs to multiple nations equally.

The Living Symbol

Bolívar functions as a living symbol of potential unity. When Petro invokes him, he's not citing ancient history—he's invoking a figure whose birthday his country still celebrates. When Venezuelan politicians reference Bolívar, they're speaking of someone every citizen learns about from childhood.

The continued celebration of July 24 keeps the idea of Gran Colombia alive. Every year, millions of people are reminded: we share a common founding father. We were once one nation. We could be again.

Bolívar's Continuing Relevance

Bolívar's writings remain startlingly relevant. His warnings about U.S. interference, his calls for Latin American unity, his critique of fragmentation—all resonate today. When he wrote that "the United States appears destined by Providence to plague America with misery in the name of liberty," he anticipated two centuries of intervention.

July 24 is not just nostalgia. It's a reminder that the questions Bolívar grappled with—unity or fragmentation, independence or dependence, sovereignty or subordination—remain unresolved.