Petro to return Bolívar's sword to museum, marking symbolic end to presidency

Colombian President Gustavo Petro is set to return the sword of Simón Bolívar, the Liberator, to the Casa Museo Quinta de Bolívar in Bogotá this Friday. The symbolic act comes nearly four years after Petro, upon taking office, moved the historic artifact from the museum to the Casa de Nariño, the presidential palace, where it became a prominent symbol of his administration. Petro announced the return on social media, inviting citizens to witness what he termed a "step of victors."

The date of the sword's return, July 24, also marks the anniversary of Simón Bolívar's birth in Caracas in 1783. The official ceremony will begin at 11:00 local time with a gathering at the monument to independence heroine Policarpa Salavarrieta, followed by a procession to the Casa Museo Quinta de Bolívar, approximately 800 meters away.

This gesture is part of Petro's symbolic closing acts as his term concludes on August 7 with the inauguration of President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella. Petro had previously stated on July 20, during his final public address as head of state, that the sword "cannot be sheathed until there is justice in Colombia" and that the people would guard it until justice could be built.

The sword has been central to several key moments of Petro's presidency. Upon his inauguration on August 7, 2022, he ordered it brought to the Plaza de Bolívar, a move that contrasted with the previous administration's stance. It reappeared prominently on May 1, 2025, when Petro wielded it in the Plaza de Bolívar during International Workers' Day commemorations, calling for a referendum to advance his labor reforms after a bill was stalled in the Senate. The sword also holds historical significance as it was famously stolen from the Quinta de Bolívar by the M-19 guerrilla group, to which Petro belonged in his youth, on January 17, 1974.