The Torch of Independence began its traditional journey through Costa Rica today. More than 22,000 students from across the country carry the torch both today and tomorrow, covering 378 kilometers from Peñas Blancas to Cartago in celebration of 204 years of independence.
The welcoming ceremony was held at the Peñas Blancas border crossing, where Costa Rican Minister of Education Leonardo Sánchez Hernández received the torch from Nicaraguan Minister of Education Mendy Arauz Silva. The event was attended by Costa Rican and Nicaraguan government officials, as well as delegations of students and citizens from both countries.
The torch was initially carried by 16-year-old student Yafeth Matías Moya León, who is in his tenth year at the Liceo Experimental Bilingüe La Cruz in Guanacaste. He stands out for his academic performance and achievements in sports, short story and poetry competitions, science fairs, student arts festivals, and spelling bees.
Each student will run around 200 meters carrying the flame, following the historical tradition that began in 1964 on the initiative of Costa Rican professor Alfredo Cruz Bolaños, then Director General of Sports. The tradition was created to commemorate the journey of the courier who carried the news of independence in 1821 from Guatemala to Costa Rica.
The route began in Peñas Blancas, passing through La Cruz, Liberia, Bagaces, Río Tenorio, Cañas, and Limonal. From there it headed to downtown Alajuela (September 14 at 2:20 p.m.) and Nicolás Ulloa Soto Park in Heredia (September 14 at 4:30 p.m.). It then travels to the Río Virilla Bridge and continue on to San José’s Central Park, where it is expected to arrive at 6:00 p.m.
Finally, the torch will continue on to Cartago, passing through the Rotonda de la Hispanidad and Tres Ríos Central Park (7:20 p.m.), before ending its journey at 8:00 p.m. at the Ruins of Cartago, where the President of the Republic and government ministers will receive the Flame of Independence.
This year’s celebrations take place under the slogan “Freedom, culture, and well-being: uniting past, present, and future.”
The Torch of Independence in Costa Rica, a tradition started by Alfredo Cruz Bolaños in 1964, commemorates the historic journey on foot that brought the news of Central American independence in 1821 from Guatemala to Costa Rica.
The torch symbolizes freedom and regional unity. It travels across the country from September 13 to the early hours of September 15, ending in Cartago, the former capital. This journey, which also takes place in other Central American countries, represents the transmission of values from one generation to the next and was declared a national symbol of Costa Rica in 2005.
