July 16Bolivia was officially established as an independent country on August 6, 1825, an event now commemorated each year on Bolivia Independence Day. The capital city of La Paz, however, celebrates its own Independence Day on July 16. The holiday commemorates the date in 1809 when Pedro Domingo Murillo led a revolt of mestizos, or those of mixed European and South American heritage, against the Spanish authorities. Murillo's uprising was the second against the Spanish in the space of a few months. Murillo declared Upper Peru, as Bolivia as then known, to be an independent state, but 16 years of struggle were necessary to make his declaration a reality. July 16 is now a municipal holiday in La Paz, and the day is celebrated with parades, concerts, fireworks, and dances.
CONTACTS:
Bolivian Embassy
3014 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
www.bolivia-usa.com