Overview
- The Besamanos took place on Wednesday and opened at 6:30 a.m., with organizers saying the ritual would continue until the last devotee had passed.
- Event leaders reported more than 10,000 people had filed past the image by mid-day, with groups coming from surrounding towns and institutions.
- Organizers used zig-zag barriers, a main entrance at the Puertas de Bronce, reserved access for people with reduced mobility, and staffed emergency services including an ambulance and Cruz Roja.
- The processional image was placed at devotee height and the altar image was turned toward its camarín to allow personal approaches, and Archbishop Enrique Benavent attended and praised the devotion.
- Donations collected during the day will go to the basilica’s social partners—Fundación Maides, Villa Teresita and Asociación Provida—and the ceremony continues a long May tradition that has drawn tens of thousands in prior years.