Prof. Karen Racine, Department of History, was one of six people invited by the British government to take part in a special event Tuesday marking the 200^th anniversary of Simon Bolivar’s visit to London. Bolivar was a South American military and politcal leader who played a key role in Hispanic America’s successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire.

The high-profile event is being held at the Foreign Office in London. Racine will give a talk on the London experience of other leaders of South American independence. Invited guests include Latin American ambassadors and the embassy community. More than 80 diplomats and others are expected to attend.

Racine, who teaches Latin American and global history, wrote a book on Spanish-American independence leaders who lived in London in the early 19th century.