|
Source: ANDINA (Lima)
Peru's plenary Congress has passed the Proyecto de Ley N° 1706 which renames October 12 from Día de la Raza to Día de los Pueblos Originarios y del Diálogo Intercultural.
The bill, introduced by Congressperson Elizabeth León Minaya (Bloque Popular) in her capacity as the President of the Comisión de Pueblos Andinos, Amazónicos y Afroperuanos, Ambiente y Ecología del Congreso, was expedited, without a second reading, after the defeat of an amendment which would have changed the name to the Día de la Reivindicación de los Pueblos Originarios.
Although October 12 is not an official public holiday in Peru, this new law follows a trend in Latin America, whereby Venezuela renamed its October 12 public holiday to "Día de la Resistencia Indígena" (12-Oct-2002), and Argentina is considering renaming its October 12 public holiday to "Día de la Diversidad Cultural Americana" (10-Oct-2007).
Coincidentally, on the same day as the Peruvian Congress passed this new bill, a bill was introduced in Chile's Senate that would eliminate Chile's October 12 public holiday and replace it with a June 24 public holiday to coincide with the Mapuche Indian new year (We Tripantu) and to be called the "Día de los Pueblos Originarios" (08-Oct-2009).
Related links:
•
Peru bank holidays and public holidays (current
year)
• Peru bank holidays and public holidays (news and updates)
• Worldwide
bank holidays and public holidays news updates (October 2009)
|
Peru Renames October 12 Holiday