Nov 10th. Cry of Independence Los Santos...

A small, quiet town, Los Santos comes alive to commemorate the "Cry of Independence" on November 10.

South of Chitré just across the Río La Villa, LA VILLA DE LOS SANTOS - often referred to simply as Los Santos - is where the first Panamanian declaration of independence from Spain was made on November 10, 1821. According to some versions an actual woman's shout, and by the hard historical evidence a resolution by the notables in the town of Los Santos. On the 28th of that month the rest of Panama agreed and the hard pressed Spaniards, having been taken by surprise and routed by Bolívar in Bogota, were run out of Panama with surprisingly little resistance.

This day of the year used to be just a regional 'fiesta', but has turned into a major and popular folcloric celebration in all of Panama.

The oxcart parade rules the streets in many parts of the country all the way from Chiriqui to the jungles of the Darien.

Thus November 10 is one of the countries' patriotic holidays, and every year there is a parade that winds its way from San Miguelito to Juan Diaz to celebrate the occasion. It's particularly popular with all the santeños who have been transplanted to the metro area.


Panama has three Independence Days, all in November. Nov. 3 celebrates independence from Colombia, the day in 1904 when Panama declared independence and the U.S. immediately recognized Panama and stationed warships off the coast to dissuade Colombia from trying to retain possession of the isthmus (Colombia was making too many demands in the canal negotiations).

Today, Nov 10th, celebrates El Grito, when the city of Los Santos declared independence from Spain before the rest of the country had decided to do it.

Nov. 28 is official Independence from Spain, when Panama declared independence from Spain and then later decided to remain part of Colombia.
Panamanians celebrate all of these holidays with big parades.

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