Simon Bolivar, son of rich and noble parents, was born in Caracas on  24th July, 1783.  When he was just two and a half years old, he lost his father, Juan Vicente Bolivar. His education was en­ trusted to the best masters  and  tutors. The most influential of his teachers, however, was Simon Rodriguez, for it was he who awakened in the young Boliver intellectual and political curiosity, encouraging personal independence in the man who was later to free a whole continent. In his formative years, Bolivar travelled to Spain, France and other European countries where he pursued military studies, mathematics, languages, political  philosophy and other subjects of a varied education. He was married in 1802 but his wife died the following year.

During his three different travels to Europe, Simon Bolivar imbibed the liberal ideas and acquired a moderate relativism. It was during his visit to Monte Sacro in Rome, in 1803, that the young visionary vowed  to   free  his  country.  On  his third trip to Europe in 1810, he went as a diplomat to Great Britain as the head of the first important Venezuelan mission. Following his admiration for the principles of human dignity and democratic traditions of Europe, Bolivar sought the help of England for the revolutionary government in Caracas.

Known for the virtues of moral integrity, objectivity, uprightness and sense of justice, Bolivar was a practical and dynamic leader with an iron will and great sagacity. The concept of love for liberty formed part of Bolivar's rigorous and coherent ideology. For him, liberty was 'the right of every man to  do  anything not forbidden by law-the only goal worthy of sacrifice of human life'.

Bolivar returned from Europe along with another great Venezuelan patriot, Francisco de Miranda, to fight in the War of Independence. Bolivar took part in more than two hundred battles in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru  and Bolivia, against the Spanish forces. The Battle of Carabobo set the seal of Venezuela's independence from Spain on July 5, 1821 and subsequently liberating Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia the last of which is named after Bolivar. He is thus rightly called 'The Liberator'. His generosity and magnanimity made him sacrifice all his family's wealth and possessions in the independence campaigns. He died a poor man on 17th December 1830.

Indian Posts & Telegraphs Department is happy to issue a commemorative stamp of the occasion of his bi-centenary celebrations.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India