Plurinational State Foundation Day
Plurinational State Foundation Day is a national holiday observed on January 22nd annually in Bolivia. Also known as Día del Estado Plurinacional in Spanish, this day celebrates the renaming of the country and the adoption of its constitution in 2009. The name of Bolivia was changed to the Plurinational State of Bolivia to recognize the multi-ethnic nature of the country.
Bolivia (National holiday)Evo Morales, the first president of Bolivia to come from the indigenous population, initiated the move towards changing the name, and on December 14, 2007, presided over the passage of the new Bolivian Constitution.
The History of Plurinational State Foundation Day
Evo Morales won the Bolivian general election in 2005 and, by doing so, became the first Bolivian President from the indigenous population. On January 22, 2006, he was inaugurated into office. In 2009, he promulgated a change to the Bolivian constitution that recognized the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural aspects of modern-day Bolivia.
The new Constitution changed the official name to the Plurinational State of Bolivia. In 2010, after Morales won a second term as president, this new Constitution was put into effect on January 22nd. On the same day the Constitution was enacted, Morales also established Plurinational State Foundation Day and declared it a national holiday.
On November 19, 2019, President Morales resigned after many weeks of organized protests. Jeanine Áñez then became Interim President of Bolivia. While she served as Interim President, the government of Bolivia remained open on this holiday so that she could deliver a management report on the status and state of the government.
Observing Plurinational State Foundation Day
This holiday is a day off for the general population, and people often use the holiday as an extra day to spend with their friends and family members. People enjoy meals such as Chola sandwiches or Silpancho and generally use the day to rest. On this day, there may also be events that highlight the holiday and its meaning.
Bolivia (National holiday)
