The Honorary Consul of the Colombian Embassy in Liberia, Houssein Cheaitou, has joined other foreign diplomats, government officials, heads of agencies and institutions in observance of the Republic of Colombia’s 210 Independence Day celebrations.
The celebration which was observed on Monday, July 20, unfortunately without the normal get-together event befitting the celebration that showcases the parades throughout Colombia and its sport activities along with the traditional folk music characterized by its rich historical display in Liberia due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Consul General Cheaitou expressed how happy he was to be part of this year’s celebration and feeling the spirit of Colombian Cultures and memories and promised that hopefully next year, the Government of Columbia will celebrate this day in its normal cultural ways in Liberia.
According to the history of its independence, the Spanish first arrived in Colombia in 1499, founding the first permanent settlement in 1510. Under the reign of King Charles III (reigned 1759-1788), resentment in the colonies was growing as the Spanish insisted that the colonies could only trade with Spain, limiting their growth and also as the Spanish support for the Americans in the US war of independence increased taxation and this had led to small ineffective rebellion.
On July 20, 1810, Colombian patriots stirred the population of Bogota into street protests against Spanish rule. The viceroy, under pressure, was forced to agree to allow for a limited independence which later became permanent.
Colombia’s national day marks the start of the movement to independence from Spain in 1810 but it was not until 1819 when Colombia became a Republic and its independence from Spain was formally recognized.
In 1819, when Colombia first became a Republic, the modern day countries of Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama were part of Colombia but in 1830 Venezuela and Ecuador became separate states while in 1903 Panama became a country as well.