Jose Artigas Statue

Yep, it’s a statue all right. At least this one is in decent shape, which can’t be said of his buddy Simon Bolivar around the corner (I don’t think in real life they ever met, but given their statues are neighbors they must know each other by now. Like Buzz Lightyear and Woody in Toy Story).
Jose is one of a set of 5 «Statues of the Liberators», all located in the vicinity of the Organization of American States building. Each was donated by a different Latin American country, and depicts a native leader who fought against European rule.
Artigas is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called «the father of Uruguayan nationhood». So if you every go down Virginia Ave, you’ll know who he is. Thank goodness for wiki!