HARRISBURG – State Reps. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks, and Danilo Burgos, D-Phila., have introduced H.R. 486 and 487. The first would recognize July 5, 2026, as Venezuelan Independence Day. Venezuela became the first nation in the Americas to declare independence from Spain on July 5, 1811, which led to a wave of independence movements across Latin America. Pennsylvania and Venezuela share a connected history of independence, with many revolutionary ideas that inspired Venezuela’s independence movement coming out of Philadelphia. H.R. 487 would recognize July 20, 2026, as Colombian Independence Day. On July 20, 1810, the struggle for Colombian independence began, shaping Latin American and world history. Pennsylvania and Colombia share a connected history of independence, with Philadelphia serving as a hub for the Colombian independence movement. Its ports, printers, merchants, and political circles helped circulate the ideas that inspired Colombian revolutionaries.
REP. JOHANNY CEPEDA-FREYTIZ
REP. DANILO BURGOS