Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios, more succinctly known as Simón Bolívar - and more routinely as El Libertador - was no stranger to battles. During the first three decades of the 19th century, Bolívar's military booted out colonial forces and their allies from Venezuela, Colombia and areas covering modern day Panama and Ecuador. He helped the Argentine General José de San Martín do the same in Peru and was so admired that a country - Bolivia - was named after him. Even in the South American countries he didn't liberate, he's routinely revered as a hero.
Since his death in 1830, some leaders have found it politically convenient to play the Bolívar card, claiming to follow on in his spirit. Few have done so with more aplomb than Venezuela's Hugo Chávez, the fiery left-wing nationalist leader from the country where Bolívar was born and eventually laid to rest - after being initially buried in Colombia. In fact he's largely founded his career on what is dubbed the Cult of Bolívar.
But to Mr Chávez's almost certain chagrin, a new man is in town - metaphorically - who is also claiming to represent the Bolívar creed. And it is none other than Mr Chávez's nemesis, George Bush.
"Like [George] Washington, he [Bolívar] was a general who fought for the right of his people to govern themselves," Mr Bush told the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce ahead of embarking on a tour of Latin American countries. "Like Washington, he succeeded in defeating a much stronger colonial power; and like Washington, he belongs to all of us who love liberty."
Mr Bush may support his argument by reference to El Libertador's writings, (some of which are online here) which allude to his liberal beliefs.
"Thereafter, the justice due us was dangled before our eyes, raising hopes that only came to nought. Finally, uncertain of our destiny, and facing anarchy for want of a legitimate, just, and liberal government, we threw ourselves headlong into the chaos of revolution," he wrote in A Letter from Jamaica.
The historian John Lynch has written about the invocation of Bolívar in recent times and repudiated Mr Chávez's version, arguing El Libertador was neither socialist nor popularist.
What's not in doubt is that the battle for Bolívar is far from over.
