Central American Torch crosses from Nicaragua into Costa Rica
The Central American Torch of Freedom crossed from Nicaragua into Costa Rica on Sunday, September 13, continuing its annual journey ahead of Central America’s September 15 independence celebrations. The handover took place at the Peñas Blancas border crossing in Cárdenas, Nicaragua, after the flame had travelled through Nicaragua carried by thousands of students. A direct report published by La Nueva Radio YA on September 13 confirms that Nicaragua handed the torch to Costa Rica at Peñas Blancas and describes the ceremony as one involving educational authorities and students from both countries, highlighting unity, peace, sovereignty, and Central American brotherhood. As recorded in the El 19 Digital report on the handover, the flame travelled through Nicaragua in the hands of thousands of young people before being delivered across the southern border.
The event is independently documented across regional media channels, including reports detailing the binational ceremony at Peñas Blancas. According to coverage from Prensa Latina, the torch is regarded as a powerful symbol of unity, peace, and sovereignty, with its transfer representing the historical relay associated with the 1821 independence announcement originating in Guatemala and traversing the Central American isthmus. Further context on the student relay and official exchanges is provided through accounts such as the Swissinfo regional dispatch, which highlights the collaborative cultural programs accompanying the border transition.
The torch’s arrival marks the next stage of the independence celebrations in Costa Rica, where students continue carrying the flame through the country ahead of the September 15 Independence Day. The tradition is particularly significant because the torch is carried by student relays, symbolically recreating the historic movement of independence news across Central America. For news archives, this development is treated as a September 13 weekend news story documenting the actual Nicaragua–Costa Rica handover ceremony.
