Pedro Castillo Presides Over Military Parade on Independence Day

Arrival of President Pedro Castillo to the Grand Parade and Civic-Military Parade for Fiestas Patrias, which takes place in the Plaza Caceres of the General Headquarters of the Army of Peru. | Photo: Twitter/@presidenciaperu

30 July 2021

The large military parade was celebrated this time in the framework of the Bicentennial of the Independence of Peru. The civic-military parade was held without the presence of the public due to sanitary measures imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The president of Peru Pedro Castillo presided over the celebration this Friday of the grand military parade, one of the most acclaimed traditional patriotic celebrations by the people of this country, an event suspended last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although it did not take place on its original date (July 29) nor in the usual place (Brazil Avenue), the Parade was held this July 30 at the Army Headquarters in San Borja, as part of the celebration of the Bicentennial of the Independence of Peru.

According to authorities, the change is due to the fact that this Thursday Castillo carried out the symbolic swearing-in ceremony in Ayacucho. The parade started at 10:00 AM local time, and it lasted three hours.

Together with the Peruvian Head of State, the new Minister of Defense, Walter Ayala, and 60 other guests were present, yet there was no public present due to the sanitary restrictions imposed by the coronavirus crisis.

The Peruvian National Police and the Armed Forces were in charge of the preparations for the grant parade and military civic parade. In addition, they made a statement on the announcement made by the President during his message to the nation on the compulsory military service for those who do not work or study.

The great military parade has been celebrated in Peru since the 19th century, although it began to be held every July 28th. In 1921, on the occasion of the Centennial of the Independence, the venue was changed to the Bolivar Square of Congress and four years later, in 1925, it was moved to the Main Square of Lima.

As of 1939, the enormous military parade began to be held on July 29th. And just as the date changed, with the passage of time the setting also changed, varying between the Campo de Marte, Brazil Avenue, the aforementioned squares, and Miguel Grau Avenue (in 1984, for the sesquicentennial of the birth of the great Peruvian admiral).

It also held sessions in the Plaza Mayor again (in the 80s of the last century, for "security reasons") and the Army Headquarters (in 2000, during the March of the "Cuatro Suyos" against the dictatorship of Alberto Fujimori).