Bolivia Independence Day 2021: Google Doodle celebrates Bolivian Dia de la Patria

Google Doodle observes Bolivia Independence Day (Dia de la Patria), a public holiday that recognizes the establishment of the Republic of Bolivia (presently the Plurinational State of Bolivia) in 1825, on August 6, 2021.

Bolivia Independence Day celebrates Bolivia’s independence from Spain. On this day, a significant triumph in the Battle of Junín of 1824 was accomplished by pro-independence forces led by renowned liberator Simón Bolivar. To honor that triumph, the Independence Act of 1825 was dated August 6, the day of the fight.

Thousands of years ago, the territory of present-day Bolivia (to be more exact, it’s western part) was home to Tiwanaku, one of the most impressive Andean civilizations. They vanished around AD 1000, leaving the region uninhabited for centuries. In the fifteenth century, the Inca empire gained control of a significant part of the territory currently known as Bolivia.

Bolivian Independence Day History

The region presently known as Bolivia went under Spanish colonial rule in the sixteenth century and was known as Charcas. At first, the desire for self-governance was driven by worries about the ability of Spain to govern the region when it was under attack from France under Napoleon Bonaparte during the Peninsular War. The individuals who wanted self-governance actually felt a loyalty to the King of Spain.

The Spanish started their success of the Inca empire in the mid-sixteenth century, gaining control of its region by 1533. The region of what is currently Bolivia was named Charcas and was under the authority of the Viceroy of Lima. The region was significant for the Spanish Empire due to its rich silver reserves. In 1776, Charcas was moved to the authority of Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, and the occupants of Buenos Aires began referring to it as “Upper Peru”.

Because of Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in the mid 19th century, the Spanish Empire started to let completely go over its American colonies. Albeit the local elites of Charcas remained for the most part loyal to the Junta Central of Spain, many individuals wanted independence from Spain.

On May 25, 1809, the residents of Sucre (then Chuquisaca) organized a famous uprising against the colonial authorities. It was followed by the La Paz revolution on July 16. Albeit the two uprisings were defeated by the authorities, they started the Spanish-American wars of independence. The Chuquisaca Revolution is commonly referred to as the “First libertarian scream” (Primer Grito libertario).

During the Bolivian War of Independence, the region was captured and recovered commonly by the royalists and patriots. Notwithstanding, Spain never recovered full control of Upper Peru. The fundamental defenders of the idea of Bolivian independence were six guerrilla groups that controlled regions called republiquetas.

In the meantime, Spanish-Argentine general José de San Martín and Venezuelan leader Simón Bolívar were attempting to liberate as much of Latin America as possible. With their help, Peru proclaimed independence in 1821, and next came Upper Peru’s turn.

The turning point was the Battle of Ayacucho, in which royalists were defeated by the joined forces of Peru and Gran Colombia. It merged the independence of Peru and made ready towards the independence of Upper Peru. On April 25, 1825, Antonio José de Sucre liberated Chuquisaca, and on August 6, Upper Peru proclaimed its independence. The recently independent republic was named Bolivia after Simón Bolívar.

On May 25th, 1809, the Chuquisaca (modern-day Sucre) Revolution was the first popular uprising in Latin America and is referred to in Bolivia as ‘Primer Grito libertario’ (the first shout of freedom). This prompted the Bolivian War of Independence which would last for 16 years. Eventually, the Colonial forces were defeated and Bolivian independence was declared on August 6th, 1825.

To honor the role of the Venezuelan opposition leader Simón Bolívar in leading the battle for independence, Charcas was renamed Bolivia. Interestingly it is said that when deciding what way Charcas should take after independence from Spain, Bolívar supported a union with Peru and that naming Bolivia after he was an approach to get him to accept making a newly independent country.

Bolivia Independence Day (Dia de la Patria) is a national holiday celebrated all through the country. It is marked with colorful street parades, military displays, gun salutes, civic ceremonies, open-air performances, carnivals, dancing, and other festive events and activities. The greatest celebrations are held in the cities of Sucre and La Paz. Sucre is the official capital of Bolivia, while La Paz is the seat of the government.

Individuals celebrate this day by attending parades, dances, carnivals, outside get-togethers, and military displays with much energy and pride about their countries independence. This independence day holiday is a national holiday with most business and government offices shut.

On August 6, 2021, Google featured Doodle on its homepage for celebrating Bolivia Independence Day 2021. The present Google Doodle observes Bolivian Independence Day, additionally referred to in Spanish as Dia de la Patria, which honors the country’s achievement in establishing independence.

Represented in the Google Doodle artwork, Bolivia’s flag highlights its coat of arms decorated on three horizontal bands of red, yellow, and green, representing the country’s battle for independence, immense mineral resources, and wealth of agriculture and landscapes, respectively.

The coat of arms represents Bolivia’s natural landscape with a description of the sun rising adjoining Mount Potosi, a meaningful peak that towers over the world’s highest-altitude city: La Paz.