La Paz, August 19 (RHC)-- President Evo Morales celebrated Flag Day on Saturday, emphasizing that the nation’s tri-colors—red, yellow and green—symbolize the independence of a liberated and sovereign people.

"Our flag shows we are a free and sovereign people; the one that symbolizes our independence. The Bolivian tricolor is the greatest symbol of the country’s unity.  We honor the flag as the representation of the pride of being Bolivians," said the head of state in front of the hundreds of thousands gathered in Plaza Murillo located in the center of La Paz. 

Morales went on to say that the Bolivian flag represents the freedom, dignity and identity of Bolivia’s people.  "Today, August 17, we call for reflection on the importance of this symbol; it is essential that authorities, state institutions, educational units and the entire population pay tribute to the tricolor as an element of identity," he said. 

Bolivia’s leader at that the rainbow-colored wiphala flag and the patujú flower should also be recognized as symbols of unity and dignity of all Bolivians.  "We call on all Bolivians around the world to always defend our flag.  Defending the flag is defending the country, … our national symbol (and) our sovereignty, our independence.”

The president said Saturday that it’s important to also reflect on the nation’s natural resources that area enabling the country’s economic growth.  In late July the government announced it had taken in US$ 1.1 billion in oil revenues during the first half of 2019, some million dollars more than during the same months last year.  The administration has also ramped up state production of lithium, a critical component of electric car batteries.  

During the nation’s independence day celebration August 6, Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera said that creating state industries is the only path to prosperity and technological development for the Andean country.  Morales and Linera are the top team polling for the upcoming presidential elections in October.

Flag Day is celebrated every August 17 in Bolivia to commemorate the anniversary of the creation of the first Bolivian insignia in 1825.  According to media outlets, the color red in the flag represents the blood shed by national heroes for the birth and preservation of the state, yellow is the symbol of the country's wealth and mineral resources and green is the hope of the people, along with the forests and prairies that exist in Bolivia.