General consuls, vice consuls, and their distinguished guests gathered at the Church of Scientology of the Valley to celebrate the anniversary of their independence from Spain.

September 15 marks the 198th anniversary of the Act of Independence—the day in 1821 when Central America declared its independence from Spain. For the past three years, the Central American community of Greater Los Angeles has marked this milestone at the Church of Scientology of the Valley.

Children, dressed in colorful traditional costumes, bore the flags of their countries and led the procession of the Consuls and Vice-Consuls of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

People gathered from across the Southland to enjoy the vibrant music, dancing, colorful costumes and mouthwatering homemade food of these nations.

The Church of Scientology of the Valley is a hub for community activities and humanitarian outreach, providing a central point for nonprofits to meet and coordinate activities for the thriving North Hollywood community and throughout L.A. County. The Church makes its meeting and conference rooms available for nonprofit organizations and its state-of-the-art auditorium hosts everything from a monthly Open Mic Night to cultural presentations such as the Los Angeles premiere of the Philippine Ballet Theater and the L.A. tour of BantuFest.

For more information on the Church of Scientology of the Valley, watch Destination: Scientology on the Scientology Network.