Guadalajara de Buga hosted the 20th National and International Women Poets Meeting, bringing together poetry, music, dance and visual arts in a powerful celebration of culture and human connection. Group portrait of the participating poets gathered during the literary festival.
For three days, the colonial city of Guadalajara de Buga in southwestern Colombia became a vibrant sanctuary for poetry, music and artistic expression, as writers and performers from across Latin America and beyond gathered for the 20th National and International Women Poets Meeting.
Visual artist and educator Jesús Hernán Sanclemente Díaz addresses attendees during the opening ceremony at Teatro Municipal Ernesto Salcedo Ospina.
Organized by the Casa del Poeta y el Artista Vidal Elías López Gómez Foundation, the annual event reaffirmed poetry’s enduring ability to bridge generations and cultures in an increasingly fragmented world.
The event’s masters of ceremony: Álvaro César Taborda Álvarez, director of the School of Literature, Philosophy and History at the Fundación Casa del Poeta y el Artista Vidal Elías López Gómez, alongside journalist and communications specialist Karol Dayan Sánchez Taborda.
Inside the historic Hotel Guadalajara de Buga, audiences filled the venue to hear readings from acclaimed poets, emerging writers and international guests who transformed the gathering into more than a literary festival — it became a collective reflection on love, memory, identity and human resilience.
Students from several educational institutions attended the gathering and took part in poetry workshops held at the Hotel Guadalajara de Buga.
Students from local schools and Colombia’s National Learning Service (SENA) attended workshops and conversations with visiting authors, creating an atmosphere where literature felt immediate and alive rather than distant or academic. Teenagers listened attentively beside older generations, proving that poetry still resonates across age groupsg despite the distractions of the digital era.
Students from several educational institutions attended the gathering and took part in poetry workshops held at the Hotel Guadalajara de Buga. a book presentation alongside poet and author María Dolly Montes Tangarife.
What distinguished this year’s gathering was its multidisciplinary spirit. Alongside poetry recitals,c visual artists displayed paintings and mixed-media works in the hotel’s main exhibition hall. Among the featured guests was Spanish painter, writer and poet Mari Cruz Gutiérrez, whose participation added an international dimension to the cultural exchange.
From right: visual artist, writer, host poet and board member of the organizing committee María Ofelia Modesto Correa presents a certificate of participation to Cali-based writer and poet Xiamara Muñoz Villarreal.
Music and dance also played a central role in the celebration. The ensemble Quinto Latino, led by musician Tito Orjuela, delivered a performance rooted in the emotional traditions of Latin American boleros and romantic ballads. Vocalist Valeria Quintero Cobo received standing ovations for interpretations that evoked nostalgia while connecting deeply with contemporary audiences.
Valeria Quintero Cobo and Tito Orjuela, director of Quinto Latino, perform during the festival’s opening ceremony at Teatro Municipal Ernesto Salcedo Ospina.
The opening ceremony featured “Estampas de Colombia,” a folkloric dance company directed by cultural educator Gerardo Mejía. Their performance at the iconic Ernesto Salcedo Ospina Municipal Theater showcased Colombia’s regional traditions through colorful choreography and live music, reinforcing the festival’s broader commitment to preserving cultural heritage.
Beyond its artistic showcases, the gathering carried a larger message about the importance of cultural spaces in modern society. Organizers emphasized poetry not merely as an art form, but as a means of emotional connection and social reflection. In a world often shaped by division and speed, the festival offered attendees a rare opportunity to pause, listen and engage withv shared human experiences.
A spirit of genuine sisterhood emerged among the women poets participating in the gathering.
By the festival’s conclusion, Guadalajara de Buga once again positioned itself as one of Colombia’s notable cultural destinations — a city where poetry remains not only relevant, but essential.
An image capturing the joy, cultural exchange and intergenerational connection that defined the event.
The final images from the event captured smiling audiences, emotional embraces and packed auditoriums — visual reminders that poetry still has the power to unite communities across borders and generations.
