Teotihuacán ignites the Centennial Flame of the Santo Domingo 2026 Games in a ceremony rich in ancestral symbolism

Teotihuacán, Mexico.— The heart of one of the most emblematic civilizations in the Americas, the Teotihuacán Archaeological Zone, served this Saturday as the setting for the lighting of the New Fire of the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026, in an event that combined tradition, solemnity, and regional projection.

At 10:30 a.m., with the presentation of the head table and the beginning of the flag and anthem protocol, a ceremony lasting approximately 70 minutes got underway, bringing together sports and government authorities, as well as representatives from the 37 National Olympic Committees that make up Centro Caribe Sports.

The parade of flags, the honors paid to the national symbols of Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and the performance of the Centro Caribe Sports anthem set the formal tone of a day that soon gave way to a spectacle of deep cultural significance.

In the vast esplanade, dominated by imposing stone pyramids, dozens of dancers took the stage wearing multicolored costumes, feathered headdresses, and rhythmic movements that evoked pre-Hispanic ceremonies. The ancestral soundscape and the ritual dance of the New Fire lighting, performed by Fine Arts students, transformed the space into a living representation of the Mesoamerican worldview.

The culminating moment came at 11:35 a.m., with the lighting of the New Fire and the handover of the torch to the authorities, marking the start of the first relay along the iconic Avenue of the Dead. This symbolic route included key figures from the sports and organizational spheres, including Mexican and Dominican authorities, following a carefully structured official program.

During the ceremony, the president of the Organizing Committee of the Games, José Monegro, along with the Minister of Sports of the Dominican Republic, Kelvin Cruz, and the Mayor of the National District, Carolina Mejía, delivered remarks highlighting the significance of the event as the starting point of the torch’s journey toward Santo Domingo.

The president of Centro Caribe Sports, Luis Mejía Oviedo, emphasized the symbolic dimension of lighting the flame in Teotihuacán, underscoring that the act represents regional unity and a shared commitment to the spirit of sport. He affirmed that the Dominican Republic will once again demonstrate its capacity as a great host and that the 2026 Games will be a high-level event for the entire region.

At the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the relay, the flame was handed over by Dominican Olympic medalist and current member of the Games’ volunteer team, Gabriel Mercedes, to Mayor Carolina Mejía, who assumed its custody ahead of the official start of its journey to the Dominican Republic—symbolizing the transition of the flame from its ceremonial origin to its final destination.

The ceremony concluded with the official photograph and the closing of the event, leaving behind a powerful image in which ancestral heritage and modern sport merged into a single flame—set to travel across the Caribbean as a symbol of integration, identity, and hope.