Bogotá began to experience from the early hours of this Monday, July 20, one of the most important days on the national calendar. The streets of the southern part of the city started to fill with families, uniformed personnel, tricolor flags, and citizens who got up early to witness the traditional military and police parade, while the country closely follows a political agenda that will mark the end of President Gustavo Petro’s government.
The first images of the day reflect the atmosphere before the start of the official events. At various points along the parade route, hundreds of people can already be seen positioned on both sides of the road, many accompanied by children dressed in the colors of the national flag and wearing shirts related to the patriotic date.
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Meanwhile, authorities are finalizing details for the military and police parade, which this year covers a stretch of Ciudad de Villavicencio Avenue, in the localities of Bosa, Tunjuelito, and Ciudad Bolívar. The different training schools, units of the Army, Navy, Colombian Aerospace Force, and National Police begin to take position to participate in one of the most representative events of the Independence celebration.
The commemoration will also be marked by an intense institutional and political agenda. In the afternoon, the new Congress of the Republic for the 2026-2030 period will be officially installed at the National Capitol, while President Gustavo Petro will lead several public activities representing his last major participation on a July 20 as head of state, before concluding his term on August 7.
In addition to the parade, the president has a public intervention planned in the south of Bogotá, where he has called on citizens and social organizations to participate in a mobilization aimed at supporting the reforms promoted during his government.
As the official events progress, the first photographs arriving from different parts of the capital show a city dressed in tricolor, with thousands of attendees following the parade route, the deployment of the Military Forces and Police, and the atmosphere that traditionally accompanies this date, one of the most representative for the country’s history.
Coverage of the day will continue throughout with the development of the parade, the installation of Congress, and the various activities scheduled in Bogotá and other cities across the country to commemorate the 216th anniversary of the Cry of Independence.
CAROL MALAVER
BOGOTÁ DEPUTY EDITOR
Write to us at carmal@eltiempo.com
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