The Flag of the Treinta y Tres is one of the three official flags of Uruguay, along with the National Flag of Uruguay and the Flag of Artigas. Inspired on the flag of the Oriental Province with an added motto it was first used in 1825 in the military expedition of the Treinta y Tres Orientales meant to free the country from Brazilian occupation. In 1952 it was officialized as a national symbol of Uruguay.

Historical background

The Flag of the Treinta y Tres pays homage to the military expedition of the Treinta y Tres Orientales ( en, "Thirty-Three Orientals"), a militant revolutionary group led by

Juan Antonio Lavalleja Juan Antonio Lavalleja (June 24, 1784 – October 22, 1853) was a Uruguayan revolutionary and political figure. He was born in Minas, nowadays being located in the Lavalleja Department, which was named after him. Pre-Independence role He l ...

and Manuel Oribe which fought against the

Empire of Brazil The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and (until 1828) Uruguay. Its government was a representative parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the rule of Emperors Dom ...

during the Brazilian occupation of the Provincia Oriental. The flag was first used during the disembarkation of the Thirty-Three Orientals in Uruguayan territory the 19th of April, 1825, at the beginning of the

Cisplatine War The Cisplatine War (), also known as the Argentine-Brazilian War () or, in Argentine and Uruguayan historiography, as the Brazil War (''Guerra del Brasil''), the War against the Empire of Brazil (''Guerra contra el Imperio del Brasil'') or t ...

Symbolism and design

The design features three horizontal stripes: the top stripe, blue, represents greatness; the center one, white, is a symbol of the Republic; and the bottom one, red, honors the blood of those who died for freedom and independence. Uruguay's

national motto This article lists state and national mottos for the world's nations. The mottos for some states lacking general international recognition, extinct states, non-sovereign nations, regions, and territories are listed, but their names are not bold ...

''Libertad o Muerte'' ("Freedom or Death") reads on the center stripe.

Official standing with other flags

By law the Flag of the Treinta y Tres must be flown alongside the National Flag and the Flag of Artigas in all government buildings on national holidays.

Historical lost flag

In 1969, an original surviving flag from the Cisplatine War was stolen by the revolutionary group

OPR-33 The Partido por la Victoria del Pueblo, also known as the Party for the Victory of the People, or People's Victory Party (PVP), is a political organization in Uruguay. Its military wing is known as OPR-33. The leftist group began under an anarc ...

. The flag was taken from the history museum and last seen in 1975, but has been considered missing since February 1969.

References

Flags of Uruguay Thirty-Three Orientals {{flag-stub