Simon Bolivar

All over Latin America, and especially in the Venezuela of Hugo Chavez, Latin Americas liberator, Simn Bolvar, is a political idol and symbol of that continents new political self-confidence. The legends about him remain alive and have been the basis for many political speeches, plays, and fictional works. Michael Zeuske, one of the worlds leading experts on Bolvar, examines the dimensions of the Bolvar cult and myths and compares these with the real historical person, and the world in which he lived. Zeuskes account corrects major inaccuracies in the historical texts, such as the legendary meeting between Alexander von Humboldt and Bolvar, which never actually took place.