Statues of the Liberators

Several statues have been erected on Virginia Avenue, N.W., between 18th and 25th Streets, by various Latin American countries honoring their liberators and other national figures.

Ordered going from East to West: The statue of Gálvez was given by Juan Carlos I of Spain to the United States in celebration of the Bicentennial of American Independence in 1976.

Galvez was selected as the subject of the statue because Spain was an ally of the American colonies in the Revolutionary War against the British.

Galvez led an army that waged a successful campaign against the British along the Gulf Coast during the war.

Another related statue is of Don Quixote de La Mancha, which is located on the grounds of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.