Decree 20-2023

This decree creates the National Day of Traditional Typical Games of Honduras, celebrated on the last Friday of April. It orders state institutions to promote these games in schools, allocates budget for a thematic park in San Marcos and teacher training. It aims to rescue Honduran cultural identity and keep children away from consumptive technologies.

Whereas the Constitution of the Republic in its Article 1 establishes that Honduras is a State of Law that must ensure its inhabitants the enjoyment of culture. Likewise, in its Article 151 it is established that education is an essential function of the State for the conservation, promotion, and dissemination of culture.

Whereas it is an inescapable duty of the State of Honduras to rescue, promote, and encourage national identity in children through popular initiatives that involve them in the practice of traditional games typical of Honduras.

Whereas the traditional games typical of Honduras that have normally provided through their practice spaces of peace, coexistence, tolerance, and brotherhood are being seriously threatened by the importation of technologies, customs, and consumerist practices that lead children to an alienating culture, shrouded in violence and the investment of large sums of money that are detrimental to the family economy.

Whereas by means of Decree No. 114-2006 dated September 19, 2006, Edition No. 31,134 and published on October 20, 2006 in the Official Gazette "La Gaceta", this Power of the State decreed the municipality of San Marcos, department of Santa Bárbara as "NATIONAL CAPITAL OF TRADITIONAL GAMES TYPICAL OF HONDURAS", which has been assumed with great pride, leadership, and commitment by the people of said municipality, worthily representing traditional games and national colors in different scenarios of world culture.

Whereas we currently live in a situation with high rates of violence, which in part are the product of the absence of promotion of values such as solidarity, respect, coexistence, teamwork, culture of peace, which are generated spontaneously through healthy practices such as traditional games; and aware that it is a duty of the State of Honduras through its institutions and resources to promote initiatives that allow promoting a less violent society, investing more in culture, education, and promotion of values.

Whereas in accordance with Article 205 Attribution 1) of the Constitution of the Republic, it is the power of the National Congress: To create, decree, interpret, reform, and repeal laws.

Whereas in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic, it corresponds to the President, among other attributions, to direct the General Policy of the State and represent it, issue Agreements, Decrees, issue Regulations and Resolutions in accordance with Law, adopt measures for promotion, prevention, recovery, and rehabilitation of the health of the inhabitants, maintain public services and take the necessary measures for their proper functioning (Article 245 numerals 2, 11, 29, and 35).

Whereas the General Law of Public Administration provides that the President of the Republic is in charge of the supreme direction and coordination of the Centralized and Decentralized Public Administration and may, in the exercise of his functions, act on his own or in Council of Ministers (Article 11).

Whereas in accordance with what is established in the Constitution of the Republic, in the exercise of its exclusive functions and whenever they do not contradict the laws, the Municipal Corporations shall be independent of the Powers of the State and shall respond to the courts.