Foreign nationals during the Bicentennial

Some South American experiences

Abstract

As we commemorate two hundred years of Peruvian independence, in this essay I present, in the first person, my personal experience and the collective experience of a group of foreign nationals during this historic moment. This stage in our history as a nation is presented not only as an opportunity to celebrate, but also to evaluate what has been done with the freedom that was achieved two centuries ago. Independence is not only a gift from those who fought for freedom, but also a task for our own and future generations; those responsible for building a new civic culture, and thereby achieving a second independence. I assess the threats and opportunities that we face in this bicentennial year, and, as a foreign national living in Peru, I demonstrate the role we played in the first independence and the contributions we can make to a second independence. Finally, I address what we might expect from the country beyond this bicentennial year.