It’s Independence week in Peru, what with the country celebrating its Independence Day on July 28th as it has done for close on 200 years (then the winter break vacation kicks in), so Peru’s Ministry of Education…repeat, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION…decided to do something patriotic on its website and put this up yesterday:
That translates roughly as, “From this moment Peru is free and independent, by the general will of its peoples and for the justice of its cause that God defends. Long live the Fatherland, long live freedom, long live independence!”. Those were the words spoken the day Peru became independent and every schoolkid in the land knows them by heart, your actual “We The People…” thing (or perhaps “of/by/for the people” Gettysburg is a closer fit).
Therefore, Peru was shocked by its Ministry of Education and today, in its place this appeared…
…which is basically a long-winded and humble apology. That’s because Simon Bolivar didn’t speak those words above, nor did he declare Peru’s independence, it was José de San Martín. For context, this leaves Dan Quayle’s potatoe in the dust, you need to imagine the reaction if Donald Trump announced that George Washington was assassinated while watching a play in a theatre. Read Peru’s daily paper “La Republica” on the scandal and fallout right here (Twitter having field day in Lima, of course).
Anyway, happy Birthday for Friday, Peru. Enjoy your President’s speech and the nice parade.