Armed Forces Day: October 21
Armed Forces Day is a public holiday in Honduras.
Armed Forces day is a day set aside by Honduras to honor and recognize their armed forces. On this day, in 1956, young military reformists staged a coup that ousted the authoritarian Lozano Diaz from power. This coup marked a turning point in Honduran history. For the first time, the armed forces had acted as an institution rather than as the instrument of a political party or of an individual leader. The new rulers represented younger, more nationalistic, and reform-minded elements in the military. For decades to come, the military would act as the primary actor of Honduran politics.
History of Armed Forces Day
Lozano Díaz began his period as president with large support from Hondurans, but it fell down rapidly as he revealed his development plan to be financed by international loans and increased taxes. Lozano Díaz also introduced the nation’s first labor code. This document guaranteed workers the right to organize and strike but gave employers the right of lockout and forbade strikes in public services. The code also embodied some social welfare and minimum- wage provisions and regulated hours and working conditions. All these provisions gained him some labor support, but in later months relations between the president and labor began to decay. In 1954, a general strike by banana workers on the north coast almost paralyzed the entire country, as this was their main industry. Later it became more clear that Lozano intentions weren´t much democratic and wanted to replace the traditional parties with his own political party to hold on to power.
Political leaders were arrested and on August, 1956 an uprising of discontent Hondurans was crushed in the capital by the government. Public opinion was hostile to Lozano and his fall was imminent. Fake elections were held, and Lozano Party declared themselves winners for all seats in Congress. The celebrations of Lozano and his friends were cut short on October 21, when the armed forces led by Major Roberto Gálvez, son of the former president, ousted Lozano and set up a military junta to run the country.
Armed Forces Day Traditions, Customs and Activities
Most of the activities during this day are held in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa. The different branches of the Armed Forces organize a “Parada Militar” (Military Parade), a parade where all the branches of the armed forces display some of their troops and equipment. Since independence, Honduras has been plagued with nearly 300 incidents of unrest, including internal rebellions, civil wars, and changes of government. Today, in 2009, Honduras is crossing a period of political turbulence as his elected president had to run for cover in the Brazilian Embassy. The Armed Forces continue to possess political authority stemming from the inherent weakness of civilian-led institutions and the continued problems of public security.
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