August 6th: Bolivia's Independence Day

 August 6th: Bolivia's Independence Day

August 6th is Bolivia's Independence Day.  Bolivia came under Spanish colonial rule in the middle of the sixteenth century and was known as Charcas. On May 25th, 1809, the Chuquisaca (modern-day Sucre) Revolution was the first popular uprising in Latin America and is known in Bolivia as 'Primer grito libertario' (the first shout of freedom). This led to the Bolivian War of Independence which lasted for 16 years from 1809 to 1825.  Eventually, the Colonial forces were defeated and Bolivian independence was proclaimed on August 6th, 1825.

To honour the role of the Venezuelan resistance leader Simón Bolívar in leading the fight for independence, Charcas was renamed Bolivia. Interestingly it is said that when deciding what path Charcas should take after independence from Spain, Bolívar favoured a union with Peru and that naming Bolivia after him was a way to get him to accept creating a newly independent country.

The interesting thing about Bolivia is, till recently (till 2021), Bolivia got the world's highest road at 18,953ft.  The Border Roads Organisation of the Indian Government has broken the record by constructing the world's highest road in eastern Ladakh at an altitude of 19,300 feet. 

Below the Bolivian flag stamp was issued for the 100th National flag anniversary on 5th November 1951.