Caracas mayor presents keys to city to Lavrov

CARACAS, August 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov, who is on an official visit in Venezuela, laid a wreath to the
Monument to the national hero of this South American country Simon Bolivar
on Wednesday.
The monument is situated on the square that is named after Bolivar in
the historical center of the Venezuelan capital. Before the wreath-laying
ceremony the national anthems of Russia and Venezuela were performed.
Caracas Mayor Jorge Rodriguez presented the keys to the city to Sergei
Lavrov as an honorary guest of the Venezuelan capital.
Thanks to Simon Bolivar six independent countries were established in
Latin America, namely Bolivia named after Bolivar, Venezuela, Colombia,
Panama, Peru and Ecuador. In all these countries the monuments to the hero
of the struggle for liberation from the Spanish colonial yoke were
erected, but Bolivar is mostly venerated in his homeland. Coming to power
President Hugo Chavez changed the name of the country first of all and
called it as the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The largest Venezuelan
state is called Bolivar. Almost each Venezuelan city has the square named
after the national hero.
Simon Bolivar lived a quite short but very bright life. In his young
years he lived several years in Europe, but upon return to the homeland
engaged in the struggle for liberation against Spain. He fought, lived for
a long time in exile, came back again to Venezuela and fought again, until
he finally attained the complete liberation of his country, but did not
rest on his laurels and kept fighting against Spain in neighboring
colonies. Thanks to his merits he deserved the high title of Liberator. He
died at the age of 47 years.