A & E

WASHINGTON -- Washington is a city dotted with traffic circles, and at the center of nearly every one sits a man on a horse with a stern look, as if to say, "I helped liberate the country. What did you do at work today?"

If you have whizzed by while trying to ignore their gaze, you are missing out on interesting tidbits of history.

On Saturday evenings, National Park Service ranger Mike Balis leads a walking tour along Virginia Avenue in Northwest Washington to talk about men who were important figures in the liberation of much of South America from Spain. With Hispanic Heritage Month under way, the walk is a great way to learn about South America's history as well as our own.

"It's a neat story (that) in many ways is parallel to our own," Balis says. "To fight and die for a dream? That is powerful, and that is a connection we have."

The first stop on the tour is the statue of Bernardo de Galvez at E Street and Virginia Avenue. In 1777, de Galvez became the governor of the then-Spanish territory of Louisiana. Over the next few years, he helped secure victory in the revolution for the fledgling United States by capturing Baton Rouge, Mobile and Pensacola, moves that prevented the British from accessing the Gulf of Mexico or the Mississippi River. Plus he did it all before his 41st birthday.

A little farther down the road commonly referred to as the Avenue of the Americas is a statue of Gen. Jose de San Martin. Born in what is now Argentina, de San Martin studied in Spain, became a sympathizer of the revolution in South America and traveled to Buenos Aires in the early 1800s. He was able to amass an army, help liberate Argentina from Spain, march across the Andes and then liberate Chile.

"One misstep could bring them to death down below," Balis says when describing the treacherous trek across the Andes. "This gives you some idea of the sacrifice (they made)."

The next statue on the tour is of one of the general's contemporaries, Simon Bolivar, who was busy contributing to the independence of a long list of countries including Venezuela and Peru. The two met in Peru, and Bolivar became the leader of the armies. Both men's efforts led to the end of much of the Spanish rule on the continent.

The last statue on the tour is of Jose Artigas, known as the father of Uruguay's independence. After leading forces to defeat the Spanish army, Artigas created a government modeled after the United States.

"They did something amazing," Balis says of the four men. "They freed millions of people to choose (their own government). They took on and defeated a powerful empire."

Walking tour: The walk is about a mile and takes about 1 1/2 to two hours. The tour leaves at 6 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 25 from the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro and takes place rain or shine.

Admission: Free; no need to call ahead

Details: Web site or 202-438-9710

Along the way: Check out the Art Museum of the Americas, 201 18th St. NW (catty-corner to the Artigas and Bolivar statues). It exhibits art from 34 countries. Free. It's open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, so consider visiting before the tour.

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