Concept in Definition ABC

A hero is a father of a nation. In other words, a father of the country. This means that the name of the hero is like an honorary title that distinguishes the person who is considered one of the founders of a nation. On the other hand, the term hero refers to the illustrious characters of a country, that is, those individuals who have managed to go down in history for some reason, their political, military, artistic or other merits.

The heroes in Latin America

In the Latin American context there is a traditioncultural consolidated by which the memory of his illustrious sons, the heroes. This recognition is reflected in a series of commemorative monuments, among which we can mention the Paseo de los Próceres in the Venezuelan capital or the Column of Heroes of the city of Guayaquil in Ecuador.

The fact that the Latin American peoples recognize their heroes is due to their shared history. In this sense, countries like Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador or Chile have something in common: they reached their

independence of Spain because the different towns were led by liberators. Thus, characters like San Martin, Bolívar or Sucre are liberators and, by extension, heroes.

The role of heroes in society

The figure of the hero can be understood as a national hero. His exaltation has several dimensions. It is a way of remembering the story through the most prominent characters of it. On the other hand, the hero is a social reference and an example to follow. Just as in the Christian tradition there are martyrs and saints, in life politics and social of a country the referents are the heroes. Your reference has a dimension politics but also order moral.

In everyday life the heroes are present in all kinds of symbols: the different national currencies, the name of the nations (This is what happens with Venezuela, whose official name is the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela) and in all kinds of symbolic elements. In this way, national heroes are present on a daily basis and their role in history is permanently remembered.

In addition to the aforementioned heroes, we could highlight others, such as Miguel Hidalgo (a priest and soldier who fought in the independence from Mexico), Bernardo O'Higgins (a Chilean politician and military man who led the fight for independence) or José Martí (a Cuban writer who starred in the independence of the people from him and is still today a figure that represents the people Cuban).

Photo: iStock - Jerry Moorman

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