QCOSTARICA – The Independence Torch arrived in Costa Rica this Monday morning, received at the Peñas Blancas border by the Minister of Education, Guiselle Cruz, then passed on to Shirley Quirós Ledezma, a student at the La Cruz Experimental Bilingual School in Guanacaste.
The young woman, along with fellow outstanding students, Gerald Julián Rosales Rodríguez, and José Luis González Avilés, opened the 373 kilometers traditional transfer of the Independence Torch to arrive in Cartago Tuesday night.
This 2021, the transfer will be symbolic, within the framework of combined education and in accordance with the health security measures, indicated in the protocol for the celebration of the 2021 National Holidays.
The Ministry of Public Education (MEP) invites the national educational community and the general public to follow the virtual tour of the Torch of Independence, through the visualization of an animated map of Costa Rica that shows the traditional movement of fire throughout the country, both on the main route of, as well as on secondary routes.
Parallel to the digital simulation that can be followed at https://antorchavirtual.mep.go.cr, the torch will illuminate 10 points in the country, representing the traditional route. The flame will be carried by 10 students who will light the torch to each of these places, running only one kilometer.
These young people were previously selected and coordinated by the National Commission of National Holidays of the MEP and the Physical Education consultancies of the educational regions.
The celebration of the Torch has been held since September 14, 1964, thanks to the initiative of the Costa Rican Physical Education teacher and education supervisor, Alfredo Cruz Bolaños, who led the so-called Independence Torch Race, to commemorate the news that announced the independence that, in 1821, was made in Guatemala and would echo in the Central American countries, ending in Costa Rica.
The Minister of Public Education, Giselle Cruz Maduro, invites you to follow the virtual tour and join the broadcast of the civic act in commemoration of the 200 years of the Independence of Costa Rica.
“We must continue to cultivate that feeling and that experience of being independent, independence is the condition that allows a society to define its own destiny. Let’s keep writing our history,” said Minister Cruz.
The 10 representative places of the country where the Torch is presented with restricted capacity are:
Monday, September 13:
- Peñas Blancas between 10:00 am and 11:00 am
- Marcelino García Flamenco Tomb, 12:30 pm
- Cañas Park, 8 pm
Tuesday, September 14:
- Esparza Park, 5:30 am
- San Ramón Park, 8:10 am
- Grecia Park, 12:35 pm
- Heredia Park, 4:35 pm
- National Children’s Hospital in San José, 5:30 pm
- San José Parque Central (Central Park), 6:00 pm
- Josefita Jurado Hora School, 6:50 pm
- Plaza Mayor in La Ruinas (The Ruins), Cartago, 8:00 pm
