Antonio Nariño (1765-1823) was a Colombian patriot and champion of human rights in Latin America. Colombia named one of its provinces in his honor.

Born in Bogotá on April 9, 1765, of a well-to-do family, Antonio Nariño was educated at a renowned school where he studied philosophy and law. During these years Bogotá, then capital of the viceroyalty of New Granada, was strongly influenced by European culture, especially in the fields of natural science, literature, and political thought. Nariño, an avid reader, gathered around him a group of congenial friends who shared his ideas. He occupied several positions of public trust and engaged in the exportation of cacao, tobacco, and quinine, a lucrative trade which furnished him a comfortable living.

The outbreak of the French Revolution set Nariño's mind on fire. He translated the Declaration of the Rights of Man...