Saint Lucia, February 22, 2024 – The people and Government of Saint Lucia celebrated its 45th anniversary of Independence under the theme: “Douvan Ansanm: Building a Nation, through Unity, Resilience and Creativity”.

The official events began in Castries on Wednesday evening, February 21, with the Baton Relay Closing Ceremony, which is a very symbolic and important tradition for Saint Lucians as the baton travels through the country’s communities; followed by the Independence Flag Raising Ceremony and the fireworks show in 4 locations concurrently: Castries, Soufrière, Vieux-Fort and Gros Islet.

On the 22nd, the activities took place in Soufrière and the program included the Independence Military Parade in the Soufrière mini-stadium, attended by Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, and then the famous “Independence Celebratory Rally”, in which Prime Minister Pierre also participated. The program concluded with a lively showcase by local artists.

The Executive Secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), Jorge Arreaza, among other authorities, attended the various events.

A little bit of its history

St. Lucia was first occupied by the Spanish on Christopher Columbus’ fourth voyage to the Caribbean in 1502. The island was then colonized by France and Great Britain for centuries, until it finally became independent from the British Commonwealth of Nations on February 22, 1979.

Saint Lucia has been member of ALBA-TCP since 2021. The international Alliance has implemented a number of cooperation projects in the Caribbean nation in the areas of health, education, energy and agriculture.