February 12, 1999

Igor Palacios, MD, director of the MGH Cardiac Catheterization Lab, received the highest honor given by the Republic of Venezuela Jan. 30 at a special ceremony at the Boston Marriott Copley Place.

The award was presented by Ambassador Armando Gonzalez Angarita of the Venezuelan Consulate in Boston. Called the Gran Cordon del Libertador ("grand rope of the Liberator"), the award is presented in honor of Simon Bolivar, known as "The Liberator," who freed Venezuela and five other South American countries from Spanish rule in the early 19th century.

A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Palacios received the award for his contributions to the field of medicine and cardiology in Venezuela and the United States.

A veteran of the MGH for 25 years, Palacios has made contributions to Latin American medicine including teaching and presenting lectures in Venezuela and other countries as well as helping to establish multi-center clinical trials focusing on interventional cardiology throughout the area. He also is a founding member of the Latin American Society for Interventional Cardiology.

Igor Palacios, MD, left, receives award from Ambassador Armando Gonzalez Angarita of the Venezuelan Consulate in Boston.