Landing of the 33 Patriots Day – April 19, 2027

History of Landing of the 33 Patriots Day

The Thirty-Three Orientals was a military group founded by Juan Antonio Lavalleja and Manuel Oribe against Portuguese Brazil, an empire whose goal was to extend its territory, reclaiming lands that are in what nowadays is known as Uruguay. The name of the movement comes from the fact that their primary focus was the independence of the Banda Oriental, or the Eastern Bank, a region in modern northern Uruguay and southern Brazil. In 1825, the group began their expedition, from Buenos Aires Province, heading toward Cisplatina Province, where they would attempt to drive out the Brazilians.

On April 18, the group was able to advance into the territory without being seen by the Brazilian brigades and on the very dawn of April 19, they planted the Flag of the Thirty-Three Orientals, which consisted of three horizontal stripes in red, white, and blue. This particular event is what is observed on Landing of the Thirty-Three Orientals Day, the federal holiday in Uruguay.

After this, the Thirty-Three Orientals continued their campaign around the country of Uruguay, spreading their message around to all Uruguayans, in hopes of converting more people to the goal of territorial and political independence. In June, they installed a new government and in August independence was finally declared. However, a new conflict began between the country and the Empire of Brazil — the Cisplatine War, which lasted until 1828, when Brazil finally recognized the independence of Uruguay.