Jorge Mier Hoffman (* 1) www.simon-bolivar.org
Twelve years after his death on November 22, 1842, the Liberator's remains were handed over by the authorities of New Granada , whose government presided over by General Pedro Alcántara.
commissioners by the government of Venezuela were Jose Vargas, Mariano José María Carreño and Ustáriz and protocol events were documented by Carmelo Fernández, nephew of former president José Antonio Páez.
Thus was fulfilled a wish of his sisters, who demanded to fulfill the last wish of Simon Jose Antonio de la Santisima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios y Blanco, in the tenth clause of his will: "It is my will that after my death, my remains shall be deposited in the city of Caracas, my home country. "
On that occasion, the Venezuelan commission who went to Santa Marta to make the appropriate steps, bowed to diplomatic pressure Colombian authorizing the heart and guts of the Liberator to stay in that nation, whose bodies had been placed in a separate container inside the coffin.
The coffin was placed on the sloop of war "constitution." Upon arriving in Caracas, was inspected on two occasions. In the second, Dr. José María Vargas, Cosme Jiménez and Manuel Alvarado Bachelor, removed the bodies, wash with a solution of chloride salt, then dried and varnished. The skeleton was assembled with lead and silver threads. Doctors then noticed the absence of some small bones
body assembly was then placed in a lead casket, covered with another timber, which was forwarded to the family crypt "Bolívar" in the Chapel of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Caracas, built in 1589 by the ancestors of the Liberator serve as a grave for the family. When it opened the monument created by sculptor Tenerani at the Cathedral of Caracas in 1852, the remains were placed in the chapel. On October 28, 1876 San Simon Day, were transferred to the National Pantheon. La Negra Matea who had been nurse of the Liberator, was guest of honor that day. He was then 103 years old and entered the arm of then-President Antonio Guzmán Blanco. During transfer from the Cathedral to the Pantheon, the urn was never open, so that the remains were not reviewed at that time.
in 1930 (Gomez government) for the construction of the current facade of the National Pantheon, it was discovered that the wooden roof of the nave, where the remains of the Liberator, threatened to collapse on the sarcophagus. It was decided that the safest thing was out and left in place the ark cineraria. It blew a hole from the courtyard to reach the ark, and after several hours he took his lead casket. Edgard
Szolk Pardo, one of the engineers of the work, recounted the events: 'No one uttered a word, in utter silence, took the box on their shoulders to a side room, and prepared two barrels of cement with sheathing, and there stood the Liberator "and describes the urn:" ... is lead , the length of a man. The cover had to be originally vaulted up, but eventually separated the sides and lid are settled on the body and it is sustained by the forehead, chest and feet. Gives the impression of a very thick blanket placed on a human body. "
If we take as true this description, it is said that the top of the urn is seen holding his forehead, which could indicate that there was a skull, or part of the sarcophagus. Several days later, after repairs were made from the ceiling, the body was put back in place.
Seventeen years later, in January 1947, Vincent Lecuyer, Christopher Mendoza and Bishop Nicholas Navarro, José Izquierdo asked the doctor to help them classify sex some bones found in the crypt of the Cathedral Bolivar, on the occasion of restoration was done in the family crypt.
commissioners by the government of Venezuela were Jose Vargas, Mariano José María Carreño and Ustáriz and protocol events were documented by Carmelo Fernández, nephew of former president José Antonio Páez.
Thus was fulfilled a wish of his sisters, who demanded to fulfill the last wish of Simon Jose Antonio de la Santisima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios y Blanco, in the tenth clause of his will: "It is my will that after my death, my remains shall be deposited in the city of Caracas, my home country. "
On that occasion, the Venezuelan commission who went to Santa Marta to make the appropriate steps, bowed to diplomatic pressure Colombian authorizing the heart and guts of the Liberator to stay in that nation, whose bodies had been placed in a separate container inside the coffin.
The coffin was placed on the sloop of war "constitution." Upon arriving in Caracas, was inspected on two occasions. In the second, Dr. José María Vargas, Cosme Jiménez and Manuel Alvarado Bachelor, removed the bodies, wash with a solution of chloride salt, then dried and varnished. The skeleton was assembled with lead and silver threads. Doctors then noticed the absence of some small bones
body assembly was then placed in a lead casket, covered with another timber, which was forwarded to the family crypt "Bolívar" in the Chapel of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Caracas, built in 1589 by the ancestors of the Liberator serve as a grave for the family. When it opened the monument created by sculptor Tenerani at the Cathedral of Caracas in 1852, the remains were placed in the chapel. On October 28, 1876 San Simon Day, were transferred to the National Pantheon. La Negra Matea who had been nurse of the Liberator, was guest of honor that day. He was then 103 years old and entered the arm of then-President Antonio Guzmán Blanco. During transfer from the Cathedral to the Pantheon, the urn was never open, so that the remains were not reviewed at that time. in 1930 (Gomez government) for the construction of the current facade of the National Pantheon, it was discovered that the wooden roof of the nave, where the remains of the Liberator, threatened to collapse on the sarcophagus. It was decided that the safest thing was out and left in place the ark cineraria. It blew a hole from the courtyard to reach the ark, and after several hours he took his lead casket. Edgard
Szolk Pardo, one of the engineers of the work, recounted the events: 'No one uttered a word, in utter silence, took the box on their shoulders to a side room, and prepared two barrels of cement with sheathing, and there stood the Liberator "and describes the urn:" ... is lead , the length of a man. The cover had to be originally vaulted up, but eventually separated the sides and lid are settled on the body and it is sustained by the forehead, chest and feet. Gives the impression of a very thick blanket placed on a human body. "
If we take as true this description, it is said that the top of the urn is seen holding his forehead, which could indicate that there was a skull, or part of the sarcophagus. Several days later, after repairs were made from the ceiling, the body was put back in place.
Seventeen years later, in January 1947, Vincent Lecuyer, Christopher Mendoza and Bishop Nicholas Navarro, José Izquierdo asked the doctor to help them classify sex some bones found in the crypt of the Cathedral Bolivar, on the occasion of restoration was done in the family crypt.
To everyone's surprise, there was evidence that the crypt was desecrated with marks of violence José Izquierdo, in his book "The skull of the Liberator" says "On the ground near the northwest corner of the crypt, in an appalling overcrowding, with two radios and two wheels of a horse, several dogs and other bones of chicken, there were numerous copies of the three types of human bones, most fragmented and skull base which shows distinctly the cutting edge of developer saw an autopsy. The cut is broken back and sides, as by the work of a breakdown or corrosion, respectively missing much of the occipital squama and pieces of the temples, and reveals a lack of expertise of its author, it goes very low and was preceded by several failed denoted by hacking attempts that appear on the front. " 
Dr. Izquierdo, who was professor of anatomy at the University of Caracas, reported the find to the National Constituent Assembly, chaired by Andres Eloy Blanco, and asked for an analysis of the contents of the main shrine who was in the National Pantheon, authenticating the bones of the Liberator deposited there. The fact that the skull is sawed, it means that the body underwent an autopsy and reported so Dr. Izquierdo.
The arguments used by the doctor were:
1) The only member of the Bolivar family who underwent autopsy was the Liberator.
2) The only niche that was not violated in the crypt of Bolivar was to Maria Antonia.
3) The skull was painted, as was done with the remains of Bolivar and had a hole "abnormal" that could be used for the assembly to make Dr. Vargas.
The arguments used by the doctor were:
1) The only member of the Bolivar family who underwent autopsy was the Liberator.
2) The only niche that was not violated in the crypt of Bolivar was to Maria Antonia.
3) The skull was painted, as was done with the remains of Bolivar and had a hole "abnormal" that could be used for the assembly to make Dr. Vargas.
The complaint of Dr. Izquierdo caused a national scandal that was hushed by a refusal by the Governing Board to allow it to open the coffin of the National Pantheon.
For its part, to quell the controversy, the Academy of History published a document which clarified that the skull found was that of Mrs Josefa Maria Tinoco mother gift Fernando Bolivar, who was buried in the cemetery of the Sons of God and whose remains were transferred to the cathedral and placed in a niche of the crypt. Historians did end the controversy with the announcement that this lady also had been autopsied ...
was only an echo of this controversy the book "The skull of the Liberator," edited by Jose Izquierdo in 1956 and here comes Skull intrigue Bolivar. The concern is that this piece of bone is certainly of Simon Bolivar and is in the personal library of any member of the commission appointed by the Board Constituent composed of twelve members (* 2)
Moreover, to increase the mystery, Rafael Caldera was the only person on two occasions and in periods of thirty years, has been appointed to open the coffin of the Liberator and confirm its authenticity, who curiously, was the physician refused the request of the Venezuelan Left and perhaps who has the skull disappeared.
Editorial Note
For its part, to quell the controversy, the Academy of History published a document which clarified that the skull found was that of Mrs Josefa Maria Tinoco mother gift Fernando Bolivar, who was buried in the cemetery of the Sons of God and whose remains were transferred to the cathedral and placed in a niche of the crypt. Historians did end the controversy with the announcement that this lady also had been autopsied ...
was only an echo of this controversy the book "The skull of the Liberator," edited by Jose Izquierdo in 1956 and here comes Skull intrigue Bolivar. The concern is that this piece of bone is certainly of Simon Bolivar and is in the personal library of any member of the commission appointed by the Board Constituent composed of twelve members (* 2)
Moreover, to increase the mystery, Rafael Caldera was the only person on two occasions and in periods of thirty years, has been appointed to open the coffin of the Liberator and confirm its authenticity, who curiously, was the physician refused the request of the Venezuelan Left and perhaps who has the skull disappeared.
Editorial Note
(* 1) A descendant of English Joaquin Mier, the only person who offered hospitality to the Liberator during his last days and whose house was to immortality.
PURSLANE 
