La palenquera 3D, Palenque Vive

The Palenquera statue in the Getsemani neighborhood depicts a woman in a vibrant, tiered dress holding a fruit-filled basket atop her head. She represents the women of San Basilio de Palenque, the first free town of enslaved people in the Americas. These women began walking into Cartagena centuries ago to sell tropical fruits and sweets to provide for their families. Their tradition of daily labor persists today, as vendors continue to walk the same streets, keeping their history and culture alive in public.