Peace Monuments in Latin America (Excluding Mexico)

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Argentina

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March 13, 1904 - Cristo Redentor de los Andes / Christ of the Andes, Uspallata Pass, Andes Mountains (Argentina/Chile). Celebrates the Peace of King Edward VII [1841-1910] of England. The statue was cast from melted military armaments, and hauled thirteen thousand feet to the top of the mountain by the armies of both nations. The monument was on the cover of Time Magazine, December 17, 1928.

May 1996 - Auditorio de la Paz / Peace Auditorium, SGI-Argentina , Buenos Aires (Argentina). "Serves as a venue not only for SGI activities but also for community events such as concerts & symposia. Designed by Clorindo Testa, hailed as one of Argentina's most important architects."

February 3, 1998 - Campana de la Paz Mundial / World Peace Bell, Jardin Japonés / Japanese Garden Center, Buenos Aires (Argentina). Commemorates centennial of peace between Argentina & Japan. One of 20 WPB's placed in 16 different countries by the World Peace Bell Association of Tokyo (Japan).

1998 - Bust of Mahatma Gandhi, Plaza Sicilia, Buenos Aires (Argentina). "In 1998 [sic], on the 50th anniversary of India’s independence, that nation gifted a bust of Mahatma Gandhi to the city of Buenos Aires, and it is positioned along Libertador not far along to the east. The statue is a work by Indian sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar, who also sculpted the bust of Gandhi that sits at East 21st Street and 2nd Avenue in Manhattan, along with many statues that grace government buildings throughout India."

Since 1977 - Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires (Argentina). "The plaza, since 1977, is where the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo have congregated with signs and pictures of desaparecidos, their children, who were subject to forced disappearance by the Argentine military in the to the Dirty War of 1976-1983, during the National Reorganization Process. People perceived to be supportive of subversive activities (that would include expressing left-wing ideas, or having any link with these people, however tenuous) would be illegally detained, subject to abuse and torture, and finally murdered in secret. The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo took advantage of the symbolic importance of the Plaza to open the public's eyes to what the military regime was doing." The plaza itself is therefore an unintentional monument, but does it now contain a plaque or other permanent intentional monument of any kind? /// Left image shows Pirámide de Mayo decorated with photos of the desaparecidos in 2004. Right image shows white shawl of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, painted on the ground in the plaza.

After 1983 - Centro Popular de Memoria, Rosario (Argentina). "A former illegal detention center in the headquarters of the provincial police of Santa Fe, in Rosario, now a memorial." Translation of banner: "Former secret center for the detention, torture & disappearance of persons."

October 2006 - Monumento al escape / Monument to the Escape, Parque de la Memoria / Memorial Park, Buenos Aires (Argentina). "Commemorates the victims of Argentina’s 'Dirty War' in 1976 to 1983 in which 10 to 30,000 people disappeared as a result of the Argentinian state’s war on its own population. The park was a proposal from human rights groups. The decision to build the park construction was made in 1988. Several monuments were erected in 2006 (such as this one). The main memorial was erected in 2007." /// "El Parque de la Memoria es un espacio público ubicado frente al Río de la Plata en la zona norte de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Argentina) con el fin de recordar a las víctimas del régimen militar de terrorismo de estado conocido como Proceso de Reorganización Nacional (1976-1983)." Sculpted by American Dennis Oppenheim [1938-2011].

2007 - Monumentao a las Víctimas del Terrorismo de Estado / Memorial to the Victims of State Terrorism, Parque de la Memoria / Memorial Park, Buenos Aires (Argentina). "This is the main memorial in the park. The official website has more information, but only in Spanish. It also includes a database of the victims."

Date? - Parque de la Memoria, frente al Río de la Plata, Zona Norte, Buenos Aires (Argentina). "Fin de recordar a las víctimas del régimen militar de terrorismo de estado conocido como Proceso de Reorganización Nacional (1976-1983)." Image identified as "Sin título, escultura de Matilde Herrera y Roberto Aizenberg [1928-1996] representando seres fragmentados."

Date? - Costanera de Belgrano, Parque de la Memoria, Buenos Aires (Argentina).

Brazil

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1953 - Bandeiras Monument, entrance to Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo (Brazil). "Pays tribute to the founders of São Paulo. To capture its non-stop economic progress and successive waves of immigrants, the city adopted the slogan "Cidade que não pode parar / The city that is not able to stop." The city of São Paulo and its Metropolitan Region form without a doubt a multicultural whole. The list of cultural diversities that characterises them is extensive and complex, which is not only due to waves of foreign immigration since 1870, but is also a result of the diversity that characterised this immigration." Note boy on statue.

September 20, 1988 - Monumento à Paz, Bosque dos Buritis, Goiânia, Goiás (Brazil). "Créé en 1988, le monument à la paix du Bosque dos Buritis, oeuvre de l'artiste Siron Franco, conserve la terre de plusieurs pays: Australie, Portugal, Holande, Israël, Ghana, Suède... On peut y lire l'inscription 'La terre est un seul pays et les êtres humains ses citoyens.'" /// "O monumento lembra o primeiro ano de aniversário do acidente com o césio-137 em Goiânia, o pior acidente radiológico do mundo. O monumento foi concluído em 1988 e foi construído sob encomenda da Comunidade Internacional Bahá'í, uma organização não-governamental ligada à Fé Bahá'í."

1989 - Templo da Boa Vontade / Temple of Good Will, Brasilia (Brazil). "Shaped like a pyramid of seven faces, in which peak is maintained the biggest crystal ever found in Brazil. According to the maintainers, the best way to capture the energy of the crystal is to walk slowly, barefoot, meditating, following the spyral path inwards; at the center of the spyral [sic], right under the crystal, is the energy focus; then, walk back outwards, stopping before the altar for meditation. This temple is the national headquarter of the Legião da Boa Vontade, and attracts visitors from all religions." "Created by the Legion of Goodwill in 1989 as a symbol of universal solidarity. Incorporates seven pyramids, joined to form a cone that is topped with the biggest raw crystal you will ever see. Inside there's a meditative space."

June 3-14, 1992 - Peace Monument, UN Conference on Environment & Development (Earth Summit), Brasilia (Brazil). Erected by the Baha'i International Community and the Baha’i Community of Brazil. Contains soil samples from nearly 150 countries, a symbolic representation of the oneness of humanity and the global cooperation needed to achieve lasting peace. On September 19, 2000, the final earth samples from 26 nations were deposited [as shown in image].

April 27, 1997 - World Peace Bell, International Holistic University, Brasilia (Brazil). Offered after a visit to Japan by Pierre Weil [1924-2008], founder of International University for Peace (UNIPAZ) & City of Peace Foundation. Scan courtesy of WPBA.

December 15, 2000 - "Marca da Paz / Mark of Peace" (Peace Bell), downtown, Sao Paulo (Brazil). Plaque: "This landmark symbolizes the ideal of all people in the search of peace, fraterinty and solidarity."

Date? - Monumento à Paz / Peace Monument, Praça do Imigrante / Immigrant Square, Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). "Also called Monument to Disarmament. Was made from a disarmament campaign in the city, where several segments joined to a manifesto against violence. The memorial is a large bird taking the weapons away. By artist Marciano Schmitz."

G A R D E N

September 18, 2003 - Jardin de la Paix / Peace Garden, Domaine de Trembley, rue Moillebeau, Geneva (Switzerland). Jardin impressionniste de Moillebeau renamed in memory of Brazilian Sergio Vieira de Mello [1948-2003] and 21 other Unied Nations employees who were killed in Baghdad (Iraq) on August 19, 2003.

Cayman Islands

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1919 - Peace Memorial Hall, Heroes Square, George Town, Grand Cayman Island (Cayman Islands). Built imediately after World War I in the heart of Old George Town.

Chile

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	March 13, 1904 - Cristo Redentor de los Andes / Christ of the Andes, Uspallata Pass, Andes Mountains (Argentina/Chile). Celebrates the Peace of King Edward VII [1841-1910] of England. The statue was cast from melted military armaments, and hauled thirteen thousand feet to the top of the mountain by the armies of both nations. The monument was on the cover of Time Magazine, December 17, 1928.
	1997 - Parque por la Paz Villa Grimaldi, Avenida Jose Arrieta, Penalolen, Santiago de Chile (Chile). Villa Grimaldi was a complex of buildings used for the interrogation and torture of political prisoners by DINA, the Chilean secret police, during the government of Augusto Pinochet [1915-2006].

Columbia

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1972 - Hombre en Busca de Paz / Man in Search of Peace, Cementerio Campos de Paz, Medellín (Columbia). Bronce, edición monumental. Altura 15 m, peso 4 ton.

After 2007 - "Monument to Disarmament & Life," Parque Tercer Milenio / Third Millennium Park, Bogota (Columbia). Across from the Institute of Forensic Medicine. "The 5,682 firearms collected during 14 days of disarmament between 1996 and 2007 are now [fused in] the base of a monument."

2008 - Peace Pole, University of Narino, San Juan de Pasto (Columbia). "Back in November 2007, I sent you all photos of Colombian artist Danilo Ortiz when he planted a lovely handmade artistic Peace Pole in his Colombian home town. Then he planted Peace Pole in 2008 at a University of Narino in San Juan de Pasto, Colombia. The peace pole at the university is part of his project 'Wall for Peace' (Murales por Paz). He lives & works most of the time in Austria, and is a member of 'Energy for Peace' there..." May Peace Prevail in Colombia! May Peace Prevail On Earth! Dagmar Berkenberg, World Peace Prayer Society, Munich, Germany office."

Future - Peace Pole, Border (Columbia & Ecuador). "Colombian artist Danilo Ortiz travels to Colombia this autumn to start his latest project: A 16 meter tall Peace Pole, made of melted weapons of former Colombian Guerilla Rebels. This Peace Pole will be donated to the Governor of the Colombian Province Pasto and will be planted at the border between Colombia & Ecuador. The Peace Pole will contain plaques of May Peace Prevail on Earth in several languages. These plaques shall also feature the signatures of prominent people, such as: Nelson Mandela, author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Bolivian President, Evo Morales, Peace Nobel Winner Rigoberta Menchu, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe & others. The plaques will be designed and crafted together with Austrian School Children in a Peace Workshop... May Peace Prevail in Colombia! May Peace Prevail On Earth! Dagmar Berkenberg, World Peace Prayer Society, Munich, Germany office."

Costa Rica

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Date? - Monumento "La Destruccion de las Armas," Parque la Paz / Peace Park, San Jose (Costa Rica). "Peace Park monument is surrounded with broken weapons. Costa Rica abolished their army in 1948."

December 1980 - University for Peace (UPAZ / UPEACE), Ciudad Colon, 30 kms southwest of San Jose (Costa Rica). Click here for the Wikipedia article.

1987 - Monument to Disarmament, Work & Peace, University for Peace (UPAZ / UPEACE), Ciudad Colon, 30 kms southwest of San Jose (Costa Rica). By Cuban artist Thelvia Marín. Honors Costa Ricans who have made outstanding efforts in building and maintaining peace. "World's largest peace monument."

September 1988 - Parque Internacional La Amistad (PILA) / La Amistad International Peace Park (Costa Rica & Panama). "Lies along the Talamanca mountain range. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990. ...a little less than half of it is in Costa Rica. That leaves 207,000 hectares on the Panama side. Nearly all of this land is in the province of Bocas del Toro, but the 3 percent of it that pokes into Chiriquí province is far more accessible."

November 19, 2000 - Statue of "The Peace Pilgrim," UN University for Peace, Ciudad Colon, 30 kms southwest of San Jose (Costa Rica). By Costa Rican sculptor Fernando Calvo. See other statue in New Jersey (USA).

Date? - National Peace Garden, Parque Francisco Morazán, San Jose (Costa Rica).

2003 - Museo para la Paz / Museum for Peace, La Fundación Arias para la Paz y el Progreso Humano, Avenida Segunda, costado oeste Plaza de la Democracia, San José (Costa Rica). Member of International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP). "La Plaza de la Democracia se construyó para conmemorar al mismo tiempo el primer siglo de vigencia del régimen democrático en Costa Rica y la Cumbre Hemisférica de Presidentes convocada en 1989 por el entonces mandatario costarricense Dr. Oscar Arias Sánchez, con el objetivo de impulsar el proceso de pacificación regional."

Cuba

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July 16, 1898 - Arbol de la Paz / Tree of Peace, Santiago de Cuba (Cuba). "On July 16, after sustaining more than 1,700 causalities the Spanish Army agreed to an unconditional surrender of all 23,500 troops that had been scattered about the city." "Armistice signed at the Arbol de La Paz (a large ceiba tree) by U.S. and Spanish forces. The Cuban Liberation Army did not participate in the act."

1926 - Cuban American Friendship Urn, Potomac Park, 14th Street & Ohio Drive, Washington, DC (USA). "Also called the 'Maine Memorial.' Most obscure memorial in Washington, DC. Location out of the way; the main dedicatory plaque is difficult to see, has small print, and is located eight feet off the ground; and, having climbed up the sides of the memorial to read the plaques, one discovers they are written in Spanish. The marble urn on top once stood atop a column of marble in Havana (Cuba) to commemorate the sailors who lost their lives aboard the USS Maine [in 1898] and the friendship between Cuba and the US. A hurricane in October 1926 knocked the marble column over and the urn was added to this marble plinth and sent to the US. For a number of years it stood outside the Cuban Embassy; then, when relations between the U.S. and Cuba deteriorated [in 1959?], the memorial was moved to this location."

December 8, 2000 - Statue of John Lennon (Cuba). from the moving speech given by Ricardo Alarcon, President of the Cuban Parliament, the day the statue was dedicated: "This place will always be a testimonial to struggle, a summoning to humanism. It will also be a permanent homage to a generation that wanted to transform the world, and to the rebellious spirit, innovative, of the artist who helped forge that generation and at the same time is one of its most authentic symbols... Our boat will continue sailing. Nothing will stop it. It is driven by "a wind that never dies." They will call us dreamers but our ranks will grow. We will defend the vanquished dream and struggle to make real all dreams. Neither storms nor pirates will hold us back. We will sail on until we reach the new world that we will know how to build."

Ecuador

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1982 - Museo Etnográfico Mitad del Mundo / Middle of the World Ethnographic Museum, Cuidad Mitad del Mundo, Quito (Equador). Marks the Equator. Topped by a 4.5 meter diameter, 5-ton globe.

February 17, 1999 - Campana de la Paz Mundial / World Peace Bell, Parque de la Carolina, Quito (Ecuador). One of 20 WPB's placed in 16 different countries by the World Peace Bell Association of Tokyo (Japan).

El Salvador

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1994 - Monumento a la Paz, Plaza Constitución, San Salvador (El Salvador). "This monument was built by Ruben Martinez in 1992 shortly after the signing of peace accords in order to symbolize the new constitution."

Guatemala

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About 1996? - Peace Monument & White Rose, Courtyard, Palacio Nacional de la Cultura / National Palace of Culture, Guatemala City (Guatemala). Former National Palace. "They have a tradition concerning peace and a symbol of peace, the White Rose. To celebrate another day of peace in their country and the ever-fresh peace process, at about 11:30 AM, the Army Honor Guard, changes a white rose that has been placed on a monument in the court yard with another fresh white rose. The day old white rose, symbolizing 24 hours of peace, is then given to a guest of the country in a ceremony." NB: Guatemalan civil war lasted from 1960 until 1996.

Honduras

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July 19, 1996 - Monumento a la Paz, Tegucigalpa (Honduras). "The monument and Hill have been part of the life of the capital and has had dark moments and forgotten. For years the site was cleared of its trees and ongoing victim of fire, but their situation is changing. A renovation plan devised by the municipality Central District includes the reforestation and the construction of a megapark. Its purposes are the ecological rescue of the lung of the capital Tegucigalpa and provide a playground for families." [Google translation from Spanish].

Mexico

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Netherlands Antilles

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S T A T U E

June 12, 2011 - Anne Frank statue, Wilhelmina Park, Aruba (Netherlands Antilles). Dedicated on Anne Frank's birthday. "Created in the Netherlands by Dutch bronze artist Joep Coppens, who used the same process to create the bronze statue as was used in ancient times. Once finished, the statue was packed up and transported on a KLM Cargo plane to Aruba, where the statue will be unveiled in its new home in the Wilhelmina Park."

Nicaragua

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1990 - Parque de la Paz / Peace Park, Plaza de la Paz / Peace Square, downtown Managua (Nicaragua). Commemorates the end of the Contra Conflict [1979-1990]. "The fierce weapon-buying campaign of President Violeta Chamorro (who became president on on April 25, 1990) eradicated the threat of persisting violence." "Basically, a huge hole was dug in the ground and then filled with guns and cement, part of the park sculpted into a lighthouse and an abstract modern structure of squares, while the other part of the park is really rough and crude, and looks as if they poured a bunch of concrete on the edge of a small hill and then started jamming rifles into the quickly setting concrete." The park now suffers from neglect, homelessness, and valdalism. Lower left image shows cement-covered AK-47's.

Date? - Monumento de la Paz / Peace Monument, Parque de la Paz / Peace Park, Plaza de la Paz / Peace Square, downtown Managua (Nicaragua). "Concrete encased tank left over from the Contra War [of the late 1980's]."

Date? - Peace Monument, León (Nicaragua). Also known as Monumento de Heroes y Martires / Monument of Heroes & Martyrs. No further information.

Panama

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September 1988 - Parque Internacional La Amistad (PILA) / La Amistad International Peace Park (Costa Rica & Panama). "Lies along the Talamanca mountain range. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990. ...a little less than half of it is in Costa Rica. That leaves 207,000 hectares on the Panama side. Nearly all of this land is in the province of Bocas del Toro, but the 3 percent of it that pokes into Chiriquí province is far more accessible."

Puerto Rico (USA)

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Date? - Estatua de Eugenio Maria de Hostos, Hostos Plaza, Ciudad vieja, San Juan (Puerto Rico). Known as El Ciudadano de América / The Citizen of the Americas, Eugenio Maria de Hostos [1839-1903] was a Puerto Rican educator, philosopher, intellectual, lawyer, sociologist & independence advocate. "He is highly reknowned in Chile, Peru, the Dominican Republic & some other latin Amerian nations where he traveled and worked. What is left of him is in the Dominican Republic where he has an honor guard 24/7. Supposedly, he wanted what was left of him to be taken back to Puerto Rico when PR becomes Independent." /// "In Puerto Rico there are two monuments dedicated to Hostos: * One sculpture created by reowned sculptor Tomás Batista located into a small plaza at side of Highway #2 in the northern entrance of his native city of Mayagüez. (There is a local grassroots movement claiming relocalization of this statue to more centrical place.) * Another one created by Jose Buscaglia Guillermety. Recently, located inside the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus in San Juan."

Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

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Date? - Peace Memorial Hall, Murray Road, near Kingstown (Saint Vincent & the Grenadines). Image shows "the section of Murray Road close to Kingstown. The pink building in the center is Peace Memorial Hall and the open area to the right has playing fields."

Uruguay

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1960 - "Raíces de la Paz" / "The Roots of Peace," Organization of American States (OAS), 17th Street & Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (USA). "In the tunnel connecting the OAS Building with its Administration Building two blocks away is a 162-meter [sic] / 200-foot mural (one of the longest in the world) depicting various themes of peace & development in the Americas. Painted by Uruguayan artist Carlos Paez Vilaró [b.1923] who also painted a mural for the UN building in New York City."

USA

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April 26, 1910 - Organization of American States (OAS), 17th Street & Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (USA). "On April 14, 1890, delegates created the International Union of American Republics 'for the prompt collection and distribution of commercial information.' They also established the Commercial Bureau of the American Republics in Washington as the Union's secretariat, with the participation of 18 Western Hemisphere nations, including the USA. In 1910, the Commercial Bureau became the Pan American Union, and American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie [1835-1919] donated $5 million to construct a permanent headquarters in Washington, DC, which is today the historic OAS building." Lower image shows interior courtyard.

April 26, 1910 - Peace Tree, Organization of American States (OAS), 17th Street & Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (USA). "Prominent among the lush vegetation of the OAS patio. A hybrid of fig and rubber. Planted by President William Howard Taft [1857-1930] during the building's dedication ceremonies in 1910." Image shows John Barret (Director General), Bishop Harding, Amb. de la Barra (México), Andrew Carnegie, President Taft, Philander O. Knox (Secretary of State), Senator Elihu Root, James Cardinal Gibbons & Frederick D. Owen. On April 26, 2010, President Barak Obama "planted a new 'Peace Tree' as a symbol of the OAS’s renewed dedication to its core values of good faith and solidarity for the next 100 years."

1958 - Statue of Simon Bolivar, Virginia Avenue, E Street & 18th Street, NW, Washington, DC (USA). "The height of the tip of the sword touching 27 feet makes this eight-ton statue technically the tallest in town. Simon Bolivar [1783-1830] liberated what are now Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Bolivia was named in his honor. Although he was hated at the time of his death, he has since become recognized and honored as the liberator of much of South America." Statue by Felix de Weldon [1906-2003] whoa lso sculpted the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

1960 - "Raíces de la Paz" / "The Roots of Peace," Organization of American States (OAS), 17th Street & Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (USA). "In the tunnel connecting the OAS Building with its Administration Building two blocks away is a 162-meter [sic] / 200-foot mural (one of the longest in the world) depicting various themes of peace & development in the Americas. Painted by Uruguayan artist Carlos Paez Vilaró [b.1923] who also painted a mural for the UN building in New York City."

1964 - John F. Kennedy Torch of Friendship, Bayfront Park, Miami, Florida (USA). Contains seals of Latin American countries.

Venezuela

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1963 onwards - El Monumento a la Paz / Peace Monument, Fundación Planeta Libre, Calle Cabriales con Luis Roche, Colinas de Bello Monte, Caracas (Venezuela). Built by Dr. Farid Mattar [born 1928]. "A temple of understanding that symbolizes the education for freedom and peace. It is an environmentally-friendly monument, made by recycling the filth of Caracas, each rock placed, in Dr. Mattar’s words, 'in the name of every Venezuelan child that will be born' Dr. Mattar’s development of his model of a Culture of Peace corresponded to the on-going construction at the site. The model suggests that we are the forces behind continuing transformations and that we are united both in heaven and on earth. In these moments, we are entering the monument’s highest floor. One may observe that there are no ceilings or walls, and the arcs point toward the sky, indicating the need of a contemporary man to find sense in life and to be transcendental."

	December 1983 - Virgen de la Paz / Virgin of the Peace, Cuidad de Trujillo (Venezuela). Created by sculptors Manuel de la Fuente and Rosendo Camargo, 46.72 meters high, one of the highest monuments of the Americas.

October 8, 2007 - Glass Monument to Che Guevara, near the top of El Aguila Peak, near Merida (Venezuela). "Was shot up and destroyed less than two weeks after it was unveiled by Venezuelan Vice President Jorge Rodriguez & Cuba’s ambassador to Venezuela to mark the 40th anniversary of Guevara’s death. The 1.5-inch-thick stele was erected at a popular tourist spot and one of the highest points in Venezuela (13,143 feet above sea level). Guevara visited this spot in 1952." Revolutionary icon Ernesto “Che” Guevara [1928-1967] was "was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat, military theorist, and major figure of the Cuban Revolution. Since his death, his stylized visage has become a ubiquitous countercultural symbol and global insignia within popular culture."