Guadalajara de Buga hosts the 20th National and International Women Poets Gathering, uniting poetry, culture, heritage, and religious tourism in one of Colombia’s most historic cities. Promotional poster image for the 20th National and International Women Poets Gathering in Guadalajara de Buga, Colombia.
Poetry Once Again Embraces Colombia’s “Distinguished City”
The National and International Gathering of Women Poets is organized by the Fundación Casa del Poeta y el Artista Vidal Elías López Gómez, an organization led by visual artist and educator Jesús Hernán Sanclemente, who for years has championed artistic and literary development throughout the region.
Through this ongoing cultural work, poetry has brought together hundreds of people who find in verse a space to reconnect with emotion, nature, memory, and the human spirit.
Now celebrating its twentieth edition, the festival will welcome women poets from across Colombia as well as international guests from Europe, South America, and the Caribbean — including representatives from Spain, Bolivia, and Cuba. The gathering continues to strengthen its reputation as a platform for cultural exchange, promoting poetry as a universal language of fraternity, love, and hope.
The official opening ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 21, at 4:00 p.m. at the Ernesto Salcedo Ospina Municipal Theater, one of the city’s most treasured architectural and cultural landmarks.
The inaugural program will blend poetry, music, and dance, featuring a performance by the folkloric group Estampas de Colombia, showcasing the richness of Colombian and Latin American artistic traditions.
Literature, Art, and Cultural Exchange
As part of the celebration marking two decades of the festival, a special art exhibition and book showcase will also be held on Friday, May 22, and Saturday, May 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Hotel Guadalajara de Buga. Writers, artists, and visitors will have the opportunity to experience visual art exhibitions, discover new literary works, and share conversations centered on poetic creation.
Among the featured international artists is acclaimed Spanish writer, poet, and visual artist Mari Cruz Pérez Gutiérrez, whose work will be exhibited alongside pieces by distinguished local artists. Also highlighted is renowned host artist María Ofelia Modesto Correa — writer, painter, and poet — who serves on the board of the Fundación Casa del Poeta y el Artista Vidal Elías López Gómez and directs the celebrated collective art exhibition Expresión Silenciosa María O.
Modesto Correa will present selections of her visual artwork in addition to her literary work, including her poetry collection Thoughts and Emotions, released last year. Her growing literary contributions also include the anthologies Poetic Symphony and Interwoven Tales One, published by the foundation, as well as Poetic Rainbow, a collaborative anthology featuring ten poets and published with support from the municipal government of Guadalajara de Buga and its Department of Culture.
On Saturday, May 23, at 5:00 p.m., Hotel Guadalajara will host a special poetry recital during the festival’s closing ceremony. The event will honor three distinguished women poets who have participated since the inaugural gathering in 2006: Luz Stella Vargas Vásquez of Palmira, along with María Eloisa Varela Ramírez and Stella Llanos Ochoa, both from Buga.
The evening will conclude with a musical performance by the Latin ensemble Quinto Latino, directed by Tito Orjuela, featuring vocalist Valeria Cobo.
Buga: A City with International Cultural Projection
The significance of this poetic gathering is heightened by a historic moment for Guadalajara de Buga, officially recognized by Colombian law as “La Ciudad Señora de Colombia” — Colombia’s Distinguished City.
At the same time, the city is advancing efforts to have its Historic Center recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a designation that would highlight the extraordinary architectural, cultural, and spiritual value of this iconic city in Colombia’s Valle del Cauca region.
Culture and Tourism Strengthen Buga’s Identity
Events such as the National and International Gathering of Women Poets continue to position Guadalajara de Buga as a destination that welcomes not only religious pilgrims, but also visitors drawn to art, literature, and historical heritage.
With poetry at the heart of the celebration, the city once again opens its doors to honor language, sensitivity, and intercultural dialogue — reaffirming that this historic destination continues to beat strongly within Colombia’s cultural and spiritual soul.
