A look around the region on Central American Independence Day, where five countries celebrate the 201st anniversary of independence from Spain.
Today Central America celebrates its independence from Spain. For Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, September 15, 2022 marks 201 years of independence. Last year was, obviously, the big 200, but the region found itself choked by the Covid regulations of the time and festivities were muted.
This year, there’s no such excuse. For the first time since the region’s 198th birthday in 2019 the parades and celebrations are back. Each country will see parades and civic activities in just about every city, town, village, and community in the region.
Central Americans are – as a whole – deeply patriotic. A year ago, on the 200th Central American Independence Day, we wrote the following:
“Anyone who lives, has lived, or who’s visited any country in Central America knows how patriotic people are. There’s something very refreshing about how much Costa Ricans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Nicaraguans love their countries, no matter how tough their lives might be. Coming from Europe, where we’re super-cynical about such things (probably because we’re ones Central America became independent from), it feels like a breath of fresh air.”
The banning of celebrations over the past two years wasn’t easy for Central Americans, so this year, expect a party! Whether that party is today or over the upcoming holiday weekend, expect it to rock.
Below, as we do every year, we’ll head to Twitter and Instagram to give you an idea of what’s happening around the region today for Central America independence. It’s become a habit of ours every September 15 to curate images and tweets from the five celebrating countries.
And as ever, we wish all Central Americans in their home countries or abroad – as well as the expats, immigrants, and tourists in the region – a wonderful Independence Day. Enjoy yourselves!
Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s first post pandemic independence day comes at great time of change in the country, with a new government promoting new ideas and new ways of doing things. To that end, President Rodrigo Chaves tweeted this week about the country being in a new era as it turns 201 years old. Feliz dia de la independencia Costa Rica!
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El Salvador
El Salvador celebrates its 201st birthday today with parades and presidential tweets from Nayib Bukele, who’s touting the country’s “true independence” and retweeting the many messages of congratulations received by El Salvador from all over the world. And who are we to be be churlish? We also wish Salvadorans everywhere a wonderful Independence Day!
Tomorrow’s also a holiday in El Salvador so people, in the president’s words, can enjoy their country in “total security” (a nod to his crackdown on gangs over the course of this year).
El viernes 16 se sumará al asueto normal del 15 de septiembre, para que los salvadoreños podamos disfrutar de nuestro país, más ahora, que hay total seguridad.#VerdaderaIndependencia 🇸🇻 pic.twitter.com/LBtfEDVwym
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) September 15, 2022
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Guatemala
Guatemalan president Alejandro Giammattei noted the past two years in one of his Independence Day tweets, saying that, “After two years of pandemic and confinement, with we joyfully gather in the Plaza de la Constitución to pay tribute to the country on its anniversary.”
Con entusiasmo y fervor patrio, los guatemaltecos asistimos a la conmemoración de #201AñosIndependenciaGT. Luego de dos años de pandemia y de confinamiento, con regocijo nos reunimos en esta Plaza de la Constitución para rendir homenaje a la patria en su aniversario. pic.twitter.com/vZA8ZufVQY
— Alejandro Giammattei (@DrGiammattei) September 15, 2022
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Honduras
After two years, Honduras is also ready to party today. It’s another country with a brand new president promising a brand new start for its people. Not many countries deserve a break more than Honduras, so here’s wishing Happy Independence to Catrachos everywhere!
Choluteca_ 🗣️Colorido y Amor a Honduras_
Presentación de las palillonas de INTAE-SUR en Choluteca.#DesfilesPatrios202 #Honduras🇭🇳 #AlDiaPatriaMiaTeLlevo❤️ pic.twitter.com/JaIyGUNRS2— Noticiero Al Día Canal 45 (@Noticiero45) September 15, 2022
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Nicaragua
Nicaragua still labors under the brutal Ortega regime and it’s painful to watch developments in that country, where there’s very little to celebrate. That said, Nicas still love their country, and hope better times will come for all, including these children celebrating independence today on Little Corn Island with the traditional procession.
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From us to you, wherever you are in the region, enjoy your Central American Independence Day!
It’s been a tough two years without real celebration in the region. And we know that times are hard and not getting easier anytime soon for most Central Americans. But we live in a beautiful part of the world, in a group of amazing countries – let’s give thanks for that and enjoy our independence for another year. Happy Central American Independence Day to all!
