It is said to recall La Habana, San Juan de Puerto Rico, Cartagena de Indias, but it is Cadiz and 2012, it will become the Iberoamerican Capital of Culture, an exceptional honour, as only state capitals have been so honoured up to now.

This is just of the many initiatives that are being organised to celebrate the 200 anniversary of the signing of the first Spanish Constitution in 1812, when Cadiz was the “light house of two worlds”: South America and Europe.

In the 18th century, Cadiz was probably Spain’s most important city in all spheres, whether political, trade and cultural, and it established such strong relations with Latin America that it was even said that Cadiz was closer to Havana than Madrid.


Cadiz was chosen as the cultural capital during the XXI Meeting of the Culture Committee of the Union of Iberoamerican Capital Cities (UCCI) in San José de Costa Rica, when Teofila Martinez, as Mayoress of Cadiz, set out the reasons why the city should be the cultural capital in 2012. The date will most likely coincide with the Summit of Latin American Heads of State and Government being held in Cadiz.

With the support of the Spanish Ambassador to Costa Rica, Arturo Reig, the mayoress explained how important the proclamation of the 1812 Constitution, popularly known as La Pepa, on the 19th March was for Cadiz, Spain and Latin America. American deputies of that Spanish empire in both hemispheres were actively in the drafting of the document.

The 1812 Constitution was one of the fundamental reason for choosing Cadiz. “It was the model for the Iberamerican constitutions,” stressed the Mayoress, “and the newfound liberalism, whose new emancipating ideas reached America and accelerated the liberating process”. The support of the UCCI was unanimous.

The next task is to agree on the programme and the Town Council will need to initiate a public tendering process. An initial proposal is to set up an Iberamerican Fair of the Culture. For decades now, Cadiz has hosted cultural events that bridge the Atlantic, such as the Iberamerican Theatre Festival (FIT) or Film Festival of the Atlantic, Alcanes.

Tourism prospects

This is just of the many initiatives that are being organised to celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the first Spanish Constitution in a way to reflect the importance of Cadiz in the past. The Spanish Government and different Spanish institutions have already expressed their support when they set up the National Bicentenary Commission.


The Iberamerican Athletics Games will be held in San Fernando in 2010 as part of the build-up to the celebration.

The Cadiz Provincial Council's Tourist Board has already begun to work on these events and invited over 500 Latin American travel agents to the city with the aim of Cadiz becoming a must to visit on the itinerary of all Latin Americans who visit Europe.