Ecuador Independence Day

This is a national public holiday, known as “Dia del Primer Grito de Independencia de Quito’ in Ecuador. It marks Quito’s declaration of independence from Spain in 1809. Spanish colonisation of Ecuador began in the middle of the 16th Century, and in 1563 the modern capital city Quito became an administrative region of Spain. The citizens of Quito were the first in Latin America to rebel and declare independence on 10th August 1809. It was short-lived though as the Spanish reclaimed 24 days later. But it was seen as a key milestone in the movement across Central and South America in gaining independence.