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BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA - JANUARY 17: In a symbolic act commemorating the 50th anniversary of the theft of Simón Bolívar's sword by the M-19 guerrillas, the Government, the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Knowledge, the Quinta de Bolívar House Museum, and the National Museum of Colombia came together to present the exhibition “Epilogue for an open dialogue of peace”. On January 17, 1974, in a symbolic act, Álvaro Fayad, a co-founder of the guerrilla movement M-19 stole Bolivar's sword, a powerful symbol of freedom for Colombia, leaving behind a note that began, "Bolivar, your sword returns to the battlefield." Antonio Navarro Wolff, a leader of the M-19, ultimately returned the sword to its original site on January 31, 1991, marking the end of almost 17 years of its absence. The theft was part of the guerrilla group's nationalist movement, aiming to reclaim what they saw as a symbol kidnapped by the Colombian oligarchy. During the presidency of Gustavo Petro in 2022, the sword gained prominence when it was specially featured in his inauguration ceremony on August 7. On Wednesday (Jan. 17), the Quinta de Bolívar House Museum, once housed the sword of the “Liberator“, Simón Bolívar, displayed the iconic sword with a ceremony.(Footage by Ernesto Che Mercado Jones /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)