Bicentennial Law No. 18,677

Bicentennial Law No. 18,677

Year 2011 is declared the celebration of the Uruguayan emancipation process.

The Senate and House of Representatives of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, meeting in General Assembly

Decree:

Article 1 .- It is declared the year 2011 as “Bicentennial Celebration of Emancipation Process Oriental” as part of the American people’s struggle for self-determination and independence, recognizing the central role of the figure of José Artigas in same.

Article 2 .- hereby created an interagency committee to be known as Bicentennial Commission of Independence Revolution of the River Plate 2010-2015. “

It consists of:
- Minister of Education and Culture.
- Minister of Economy and Finance.
- Minister of National Defence.
- Minister of Foreign Affairs.
- Minister of Transport and Public Works.
- Minister of Tourism and Sport.
- Four representatives of the General Assembly of the Legislature to express the diversity in favor of integration.
- A representative of the judiciary.
- A representative of the University of the Republic and a representative of the private universities.
- A representative of the Central Board of the National Administration of Public Education.
- A Mayor delegated by the Congress of Mayors.
- The President of the National Academy of Arts and President of the Institute of History and Geography of Uruguay.
- The National History Museum Director and Director of the National Library.
- The Director of the National Archives.

All members of the Commission shall appoint an alternate.

Article 3 .- The commission shall be responsible for planning, for the years 2010 to 2015, the activities of commemoration and celebration of the major historical events of the revolutionary process and independence in the period between 1810, start of the Revolution in Rio de la Plata and 1815, the year of further expansion of the project launched by José Artigas in the Eastern Province and in the System of Free Peoples.

The Commission will approve the action plan proposed by an executive committee chaired by the Minister of Education and Culture and composed of the Ministers mentioned, who shall serve personally or by an alternate delegate. This committee shall carry out any action on that plan and all those that fall within the remit of the Bicentennial Commission.

Article 4 .- The Commission was created by Article 2 of this law will work within the Ministry of Education and Culture, which will provide technical support administrative staff needed to carry out its mission through all its services and specialized units.

Article 5 .- The Commission shall institute an action plan to promote:
A) The formulation and implementation of artistic and cultural projects, including also the generation of more favorable conditions to facilitate the development of publications and promoting debate and reflection on key Latin American history.
B) Conducting national art competitions and awards of the Bicentennial, which will cover the following areas: visual arts, music, theater, poetry, historical fiction, historical analysis and educational testing. These competitions will be structured around two categories: adults and young-child. There will also be a contest among high school youth to establish a logo for the Bicentennial.
C) Conducting a program of artistic and cultural evenings throughout the national territory as well as sports competitions.
D) The relationship with the educational system and departmental governments.
E) Strategies and measures to facilitate and encourage the exchange of students at the regional level, in order to strengthen the dimension of cultural and educational integration has to have a prominent place in commemoration and celebration of the Bicentennial, under a vision of integration and cooperation of Latin American nations.
F) Actions aimed primarily at children and young people to elicit their active participation.
G) Coordination with the Ceibal, which is recognized as a privileged channel and vehicle for the promotion and celebration of the bicentennial commemoration of the emancipation process.
H) The mainstreaming of integration and cultural diversity will be a transverse orientation to the whole plan of action of commemoration and celebration of the Bicentennial.
I) Any other activity relevant to understand the purpose of creation.

Article 6 .- The Commission is created in Article 2 of this Act may, for the better fulfillment of its purposes directly related to cooperating agencies and coordinate actions with countries and agencies in Latin America willing to join in this celebration .

Conference Room of the House of Representatives, in Montevideo, August 4, 2010.

Daniel Peña Fernandez
1st. Vice President.
Marti Dalgalarrondo Añón
Secretary.

Ministry of Education and Culture
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Economy and Finance
Ministry of National Defense
Ministry of Transport and Public Works
Ministry of Tourism and Sports

Montevideo, August 13, 2010.

Fulfilled, Acknowledge, communicated, published and placed on the National Register of Acts and Decrees, the Law by declaring 2011 as the year of “Bicentennial Celebration of the Emancipation Process Oriental” and created the Bicentennial Commission the Independence Revolution of Rio de la Plata from 2010 to 2015.

José Mujica.
Ricardo Ehrlich.
Luis Almagro.
Fernando Lorenzo.
Luis Rosadilla.
Enrique Pintado.
Hector Lescano.