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The Independence Torch was declared a national symbol on September 14th, 2005 under the administration of Dr. Abel Pacheco de la Espriella, as represention of the ideal of freedom and independence that connects Costa Rica with their brother countries of Central America, according to the decree MEP No.32647-C, signing in Cartago city. The decision to declare the Independence Torch as a national symbol seeks to express the intention that the light of that torch always provided a free and sovereign country.
By way of history, from 1821, the year of the independence of the Central American countries, the idependencia was held in particular way in each country. Before such circumstances, in 1964 the then Minister of Education of Costa Rica, Mr. Ismael A. Vargas, took a meeting of Ministers of Public Education held in Managua, Nicaragua, where he gave his colleagues a project to make a joint celebration of all Central American countries to commemorate the momentous historical event.
This project was devised by Professor Alfredo Cruz Bolaños, who then served as General Director of Sports in Costa Rica, which was called Independence Torch Run, which would run all Central American countries to emulate the path of that extraordinary mail that left from Guatemala in 1821 and ended in Costa Rica, same that brought the Independence news.
At that meeting, the initiative was welcomed and the Ministers instructed the Costa Rican chief as the coordinator of the celebration. The minister delegated Professor Cruz Bolanos, who worked one week in each of the Central American countries, met with collaborators, did tested for feasibility, checked the measurements of ground to cover, the number of schools and the number of students who participate, in addition, determined the type of light that would be used and official ceremonies at each border.
This important effort resulted in a tradition where every year since 1964, as in September 1821, is performed the Torch run – fire of independence, in all corners of the isthmus, starting in Guatemala and ending in Costa Rica, specifically in Cartago city, former capital of Costa Rica, being the Torch carried in the hands of children and young students, as representing the ideal of freedom and independence of the Central American countries.
This has become entrenched in the patriotic fervor of the Central American countries to become a significant civic event and has revealed the tenacious work of thousands of Costa Rican students who each year participate in it. The Law project seeking the declaration of the Torch as a national symbol, meant that this is paying homage to Professor Alfredo Cruz Bolanos, chief manager of this act that we enjoy today. The Independence Torch, like our flag and our national anthem is a national symbol of freedom and representative Costa Rican idiosyncrasy.
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