Francisco de Paula Santander Monument

The Francisco de Paula Santander Monument stands at the intersection of Paseo de la Reforma and Monte Everest well within the Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood. The monument was a gift of the government of Colombia to the people of Mexico. The bronze casting is one of several made from the same original, each honoring the Colombian independence hero.

• Francisco José de Paula Santander y Omaña (1792–1840), was a Colombian military and political leader during the independence movement of United Provinces of New Granada. The militarily and socially complex movement, like that of Mexico, took shape between 1810 and 1819. The Spanish crown was only finally defeated in 1819 and Santander became the President of Gran Colombia. He was later elected by Congress to serve as President of New Granada between 1832 and 1837. Widely known as “The Man of the Laws” (El Hombre de las Leyes), Santander was a contemporary and sometime rival of Simon Bolívar. His legacy is important in the history of constitutional government and rule of law. He’s especially well remembered for having founded the National University of Colombia, Cartagena University and Cauca University.

The monument sometimes serves as a backdrop for official proceedings, especially those related to Colombian-Mexican relations. The Colombian Embassy is some 20 minutes away by car, just a bit further east on Paseo de la Reforma.