Like old Europe, now Costa Rica also has its own Galatea.

left, Lilliam Barrantes Sáenz, Rafael Alberto Vilagut Vega, and Alondra Gutiérrez Vargas, by Lic. Ulises Obregón Alemán.

By Rafael A. Vilagut-Vega @vilagutr (Twitter).

Galatea of the Spheres is a painting by Salvador Dalí made in 1952. It depicts Gala Dalí, Salvador Dalí's wife and muse, as pieced together through a series of spheres arranged in a continuous array. The name Galatea refers to a sea nymph of Classical mythology renowned for her virtue, and may also refer to the statue beloved by its creator, Pygmalion.

Galatea de Oro is the Costa Rican version recreated by the poet and singer Alondra Gutierrez Vargas. The gala was just held in the small but very rich canton of Flores in San Joaquin, Heredia, Costa Rica.

Alondra is the president of the World Academy of Modern Costa Rican Literature and together with her vice president, the Cuban journalist Marco Leandro and the Peruvian media manager Guss Quiróz they conceptualized within the framework of the fifteen days from the day of non-violence against women from November 26 to December 10 human rights day, an eclectic award.

This is an example of the unique culture achieved in Latin America, thanks to a mixture of indigenous cultures, blacks from Africa and the Caribbean, Asians, and Europeans, mainly from Spain.

Happy and Healthy blog had the honor of being awarded the Golden Galatea 2022, thus we share our excitement and gratitude to the World Academy of Modern Costa Rican Literature, to the canton of Flores-Heredia, to the master of ceremonies, the writer, and a one-time presidential candidate Ms. Yolanda Gutiérrez Ventura.

The Costa Rican knights of the 21st century, like the Templars of the 12th century who defended the maidens from the dragons, were honored, deputy Gerardo Célimo Guido Cruz, and the mayor Rafael Ángel Rodríguez Castro, both for the province of Puntarenas, of which Alondra is an illustrious daughter.

 

Left, Gerardo Célimo Guido Cruz, Yorm Moncada, and Rafael Alberto Vilagut Vega.  By Lic. Ulises Obregón Alemán.

Numerous Costa Rican women sculptors, painters, writers, poets, journalists, and even doctors and nurses were honored for their contributions in favor of nonviolence, love, and equality.

The climax of the Gala for those present in the small and improvised room was the coronation of Ms. Candida-Etilma-de-las-Piedades Gatgens, 92 years old, as the Queen of the Costa Rican Galateas.

Mr. Isis Gutiérrez, the father of Alondra, expressed his joy for supporting his daughter as a sound technician and as a father.

The Costa Rican designer and couturier Erick Ballestero Miranda told the audience how he met Alondra and her little baby when she suffered from violence at home, and since then how they began a long and fruitful friendship.

A special mention goes to Ms. Marta Johnson Maxwell, currently from the Afro Research Institute of Costa Rica, Marcia González Garay, coordinator of the Environmental Management Committee of the Costa Rican Social Security CCSS, Lidieth Murillo Ocampo and Yesenia Rivas Vives, both from Hospital Calderón Guardia, Lilliam Barrantes Sáenz, a lawyer who founded along with five other women the Women's Office that preceded the INAMU Women's Institute, and Iary Gómez Quesada, representative of an important media outlet.

I was accompanied at the Gala by friends of high human quality: from Colombia, the businesswoman Yorm Moncada and from Nicaragua, the lawyer and notary Ulises Obregón Alemán, both residents of Los Yoses in San Pedro Montes de Oca.

The Galatea de Oro in 2023 is already being thought of, and several Costa Rican institutions are offering their sponsorship for the coming year. We hope that this will be a long-standing tradition for the sake of women, girls, and human rights, not only from Costa Rica but from the entire planet.

From this Happy and Healthy space we will continue fighting in every way possible for the human rights of migrants, who number more than one hundred million throughout the world, of women who add up to 4,000 million souls, and for peace and the smile of humanity.

San José Costa Rica 1st of December 2022,

 

Greek Mythology:  Story of Pygmalion and Galatea, https://youtu.be/6Rl4fhZDZVc.

rafaelvilagut@gmail.com. Like old Europe, now Costa Rica also has its own Galatea.