El Salvador Independence Day

EL Salvador is one of the five Central American countries that gained independence from Spanish rule on September 15, 1821. The four other countries are Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Manuel Jose Arce, Jose Simeon Canas, and Jose Matias Delgado are known to have made the first cry of independence in San Salvador, on November 5, 1811. Delgado was a Salvadoran priest, and doctor who is referred to as El Padre de la Patria Salvadoreña.

The annual commemoration of the country’s independence is usually marked with colorful parades that last the entire day. Schools prepare their bands for these parades

long before the celebration. In the evening, the skies of El Salvador light up with firework. It is a day for paying tribute to the country’s heroes who sacrificed to gain for their country freedom from foreign rule.

El Salvador is bordered by Guatemala in the northwest and by Honduras in the northeast. The Pacific Ocean, and the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, which is a range of mountains that runs from Mexico down through Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, border the country in the west. The portion of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas that occupies El Salvador has around 20 volcanoes, which is why the country is referred to as “the land of volcanic eruptions and devastating earthquakes.”

San Salvador became the country’s capital in 1839, but it was founded centuries earlier -- in 1525. The several earthquakes that ruined the city destroyed the colonial structures. It has been reconstructed several times and currently houses modern government building and scenic parks.

El Salvador’s strong Latin root is manifested in its passion for soccer. San Salvador’s Estadio Cuscatlancan accommodate 45,000 people. It is considered the largest soccer stadium in Central America. It fills up on a regular basis for both club games and international matches.

We greet the people and government of El Salvador, led by President NayibBukele, on the occasion of its Independence Day.