Minute30.com .- Santiago de Cali consolidates itself as the beating heart of the Afro-Caribbean rhythm. Within the framework of the current Cali Fair, Mayor Alejandro Eder made official the launch of the Great World Salsa Summit 2026, an unprecedented event that will bring together delegations from more than 20 cities on the continent to ratify the “Sucursal del Cielo” as the global epicenter of the genre.
This announcement was sealed with a historic handshake between Eder and the leaders of Ponce, Marlese Sifre, and Arecibo, Carlos Ramírez Irizarry), emblematic cities of Puerto Rico, who joined the so-called American Salsa Route.
A route that connects from New York to the Southern Cone
The American Salsa Route is not just a name; It is an intergovernmental strategic alliance. Cali will assume the leadership to articulate key cities such as:
United States: New York, Miami and Los Angeles.
The Caribbean: Havana, San Juan, Ponce and Arecibo.
Latin America: Mexico City, Caracas, Lima, Callao, Guayaquil and, of course, Colombian powerhouses like Barranquilla and Medellín.
The road to UNESCO
One of the most ambitious pillars of this summit, which will be held in September 2026 as a preamble to the World Salsa Festival, is to lay the foundations for the nomination of salsa as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity before UNESCO.
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Cali City
“This cultural commitment not only seeks to strengthen our identity, but also to boost tourism and generate real employment and development opportunities for all Cali residents,” said Mayor Alejandro Eder. For her part, the Secretary of Culture, Leydi Higidio, highlighted that salsa is “memory and future,” and that this continental network will allow a permanent exchange of artists, researchers and entrepreneurs.
Economic impact for the city
The Great Summit 2026 seeks to open new international markets for local talent. With the arrival of international delegations, Cali expects a historic rebound in its creative economy, strengthening hotels, restaurants, dance schools and the entire value chain that makes salsa the driving force of the city.
Cali not only dances salsa; Now, Cali directs the destiny of salsa in the world!
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