General Artigas of Uruguay

This Montevideo-born national hero (known as the father of the Uruguayan independence) is immortalized in almost every central plaza of Uruguay. An obnoxious amount of main plaza's throughout the country bear his name and a statue of him riding his valiant horse.

Artigas was a fighter for the indian population as well - quoted as saying that they should be given their land and that they 'have the principal right'...definitely a very progressive man for his time. But in the end, he was actually pushed out of his newly founded and independent Uruguay. Intersting stuff...and an interesting (somber/perplexed) facial expression Artigas wears in this statue outside of Minas as well.

Oh ya, Artigas is said to have always kept a copy of the USA Constitution with him.