Shout in Villa de los Santos (El Grito de Villa de los Santos)

The commemoration recalls 10 November 1821, when residents of Villa de los Santos rose against Spanish colonial authority in what is remembered as the first major act of independence in the isthmus. Led by figures such as Segundo Villarreal and other local notables, the townspeople arrested the Spanish officials, declared their break with the Crown and issued a public proclamation of liberty. The event is known in Panama as El Grito de Villa de los Santos—the "Shout"—and is regarded as the spark that set off a wave of similar declarations across the isthmus, including the decisive proclamation of independence in Panama City on 28 November 1821.

Panama was then part of the Spanish viceroyalty of New Granada, and Villa de los Santos, an agricultural and cattle center on the Azuero Peninsula, had grievances over taxes, conscription and the rigid colonial administration. News of independence movements elsewhere in Latin America, particularly in neighboring Colombia, emboldened local leaders to act. After the 10 November declaration, Veraguas, Penonomé, Natá and other towns followed within weeks, isolating the Spanish garrison in Panama City and hastening the end of royalist rule.

Because of this role, 10 November was later enshrined as a national holiday in Panama. The town of Villa de los Santos, in Los Santos Province, holds a privileged place in national memory as the cradle of Panamanian independence, and ceremonies there often connect the 1821 event to the broader story of the isthmus's self-determination.

In Villa de los Santos the day centers on a civic and patriotic program. A reenactment of the 1821 proclamation is staged in the town square, with residents dressed in period clothing, a reading of the original declaration and a symbolic collective "shout" of liberty. Civic authorities, schoolchildren and folkloric groups parade through the streets carrying Panamanian flags and banners, and the national anthem and patriotic songs are performed.

As throughout Panama, 10 November is a public holiday marked by flag-raising, school ceremonies and family gatherings. In Villa de los Santos and across the Azuero Peninsula the day blends national patriotism with regional folklore: traditional music such as the tamborito and cumbia, dances in typical polleras and montuno dress, and open-air festivities lasting into the night. Food stalls and family meals feature Panamanian staples like sancocho, arroz con pollo, tamales and sweet treats such as bollos and cocadas.

Because the holiday falls at the start of Panama's November festival season, it often opens weeks of patriotic activity leading up to 28 November, Independence Day. Visitors travel to Los Santos Province to see the reenactment, attend the fairs and participate in the local celebrations, making the date both a solemn civic observance and a lively regional fiesta.

The holiday honors the courage of ordinary residents who challenged colonial power and helped set in motion the events that led to Panama's independence. For Panamanians, 10 November represents the beginning of the nation's break from Spain—a moment of local initiative that demonstrates how a small town's defiance could ripple across an entire region. It affirms values of freedom, civic participation and regional pride.

In Villa de los Santos specifically, the day is a source of deep local identity: the town presents itself as a birthplace of independence, and the annual reenactment transmits that memory to younger generations. Together with the other November patriotic dates, the Shout serves as a reminder of the shared history that underpins Panamanian nationhood.