Cook County Treasurer to Host Central American Independence Day Reception Following Daley Plaza Flag Raising Ceremony

The Cook County Treasurer and the Consuls General from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica will commemorate Central American Independence with a reception honoring the cultural contributions of Chicago’s Central American community.

The ceremony will follow the annual Independence Day Flag Raising Ceremony in Daley Plaza on September 10^th.

The reception will take place in the Treasurer’s Office after the noon-time flag raising.

After the outdoor festivities, members of the public are invited to join the Treasurer by walking across the street to 118 N. Clark Street, Room 112, on the first floor of the County Building.

She’ll be joined by Guatemalan Consul General Rosario Ovando Castro, Honduran Consul General Claudina Martinez, Salvadoran Consul General Vanessa Guevara and Costa Rican Consul General Peter Lopresti. The event will featuretraditional Central American music and dance celebrating the country’s vibrant culture and enduring traditions.

“Central American Independence Day is an opportunity to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Central Americans who’ve enriched Cook County through their hard work, entrepreneurship, civic engagement and commitment to family and community,” said the Treasurer. “Our county is strengthened by the diversity of its residents, and we’re proud to recognize the more than 90,000 Central Americans who call Chicagoland home by celebrating their contributions to the social, cultural and economic life of Cook County.”

Observed annually on September 15, Central American Independence Day commemorates the independence of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica from Spanish colonial rule in 1821. The observance honors all five nation’s enduring commitment to freedom, democracy and national pride while celebrating the traditions and accomplishments of Central Americans both at home and abroad.

The reception will provide an opportunity to honor local community leaders by presenting them with Certificates of Excellence.

Honorees: Guatemala; Hilda Díaz, Manuel Arenas, Pablo Pineda; El Salvador; Lorena Villanueva, Rina Meza, Jimmy Ruiz; Costa Rica; Norman White Curling, Kenneth Alvarado, Tatiana Solis; Honduras; Juan Carlos Callejas

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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