Plaza Gerardo Barrios

Plaza Gerardo Barrios
Plaza Cívica
Location	San Salvador, El Salvador

The Plaza Gerardo Barrios is a plaza in the historic center of the city of San Salvador, El Salvador.

The monumental statue in the center of the plaza, dedicated to president Gerardo Barrios, was made by Francisco Durini and inaugurated in 1909. The project for the monument was conceived by brothers Antonio and Carlos Ezeta, with participation of educator Rafael Reyes.^[1] The statue, cast in bronze, shows an equestrian statue of the military leader. The statue is placed on a pedestal of granite that shows battle scenes cast in bronze and the coat of arms of El Salvador.

The plaza is an important point of reference for the Salvadoran capital because it is surrounded by emblematic structures such as the National Palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral.

It has also been the scene of various historic moments, such as:

• The assassination attempt against president Manuel Araujo (1865–1913), on 4 February 1913, when four men attacked him with machetes. The president died five days later.
• The disturbances on 30 March 1980 during the funeral of archbishop Óscar Romero, assassinated 6 days earlier during a mass.
• The celebration of the end of the Civil War, on 2 February 1992.
• The presidential inauguration of the 2019 presidential election, leaving Nayib Bukele as president of the republic for the period of 2019–2024.

In 1999, the plaza was remodeled during the administration of mayor Héctor Silva, and once more in 2012 during Norman Quijano's administrations, during which a fountain and a ceramic floor was added.^[2]

Currently, the plaza is the site of distinct activities of public and religious interest; it is the principal site for the celebration of the patron saint San Salvador during August, since it is where the procession dedicated to the Divine Savior of the World ends, typically called "la bajada". It is also the site of parades.