07 August

Battle of Boyacá

Battle of Boyacá is a national holiday in Colombia celebrated on August 7th to commemorate the 1819 battle that led to the independence of northern South America from Spain. The victory at Boyacá is seen as the definitive battle in the war and the precursor for Colombia’s eventual independence from Spain. The battle broke Spanish power in northern South America and led to the liberation of what are now Peru and Bolivia. The celebration consists of parades of the Colombian military forces, tricolor flags adorning houses and streets, and people wearing the Colombian soccer team’s t-shirt to show patriotism. The victory helped Colombian culture flourish, as under Spanish rule, native Colombians were not allowed to hold significant positions of power nor express their traditions in the way that they had in the past. Without the Boyacá victory, Colombia’s unique culture wouldn’t be able to flourish properly under Spanish oppression.

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