When is the Battle of Junín?
The Battle of Junín is a public holiday in Peru on August 6th each year since 2022.
On July 26th 2022, the government of Peru published a rule in the Official Gazette El Peruano stating that Saturday August 6th of the current year will be a national holiday in all public facilities and institutions. Approved by the Congress of the Republic and confirmed by President Pedro Castillo and the President of the Council of Ministers, Aníbal Torres, this date will henceforth be considered a day off in the national civic calendar.
Law 31530 also amends Article 6 of Legislative Decree 713, which consolidates the legislation on paid breaks for workers subject to the labor regime for private activities.
These changes meant that August 6th becomes a public holiday in Peru.
History of the Battle of Junín
The Battle of Junín was a key confrontation during the Peruvian War of Independence, fought in the highlands of the Junín Region on August 6th 1824.
This battle took place between the patriot armies (led by Simón Bolívar) and the royalists (commanded by José Canterac).
The preceding February the royalists had regained control of Lima, and having regrouped in Trujillo, Simón Bolívar in June led his rebel forces south to confront the Spanish under Field Marshal José de Canterac. The two armies met on the Plain of Junín in the Bombon Plateau, northwest of the Jauja Valley.
The outcome was a victory for the patriot armies, and this battle became an important step before the Battle of Ayacucho (December 9th 1824) where Antonio José de Sucre faced the Spanish Army for the last time and it was there that the independence of South America was finally consolidated.
The holiday is also intended to boost tourism in the Junín region with the development of multiple activities from civil society and the various government agencies.
