dias de patria

In case your world history is a little rusty, today is an important day in the history of Nicaragua (so is tomorrow)...the day of the Battle of San Jacinto in 1856 which led to the independence of Nicaragua from the forces of American William Walker, who had declared himself president of the country.

From an editorial in the national newspaper La Prensa today (translated from Spanish, of course)....

“The battle of San Jacinto whose 150th anniversary we celebrate today, is without a doubt one of the most important pieces of national history. According to historians and military experts, what happened in San Jacinto on the September 14, 1856 was not exactly a battle but an isolated fight between Nicaraguans and the band of fighters under the command of William Walker of the United States. The Battle of San Jacinto is not called as such for the strict significance of the word battle, but for its value as a patriotic symbol. It represents the entire national war against the foreign invaders and the recovery of national sovereignty.

This battle also was the first successful military action that Nicaraguans engaged in after the Pact of September 12th, in which the liberal and conservative parties (who up to this point had been disputing each other's political power) laid aside their own interests, their partisan ideas, and joined forces to fight against a common enemy.

In this are two of the most important lessons of the national war and in particular the actions of the 12th and 14th of September—the first of a political character, and the second of a military nature. First, it is always possible for Nicaraguans to unite in the struggle for an objective of genuine national interest, that which is more important than political flags, parties, and leaders. But, also, knowledge of the Nicaraguan identity demonstrated that it is not only foreigners that pose a threat to the country, but also those nationals who act against their own country.

In reality, today Nicaraguans are not fighting an external enemy but are rather confronted by a national one that is seeking to snatch the liberty of his own brother, to oppress him. An internal enemy that must be destroyed with the same valor and resolve with which the heroes of San Jacinto destroyed the forces of William Walker on September 14, 1856.”

Happy Independence Day(s), Nicaragua!