Euskal Etxeak
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Ibarretxe met the Presidents of Argentina and Uruguay, Carlos Menem and Julio Mª Sanguinetti. During his visit to Argentina and Uruguay THE LEHENDAKARI SPOKE IN FAVOR OF INCREASING ECONOMIC AND POLITIC COLLABORATION Raquel Ugarriza (DEIA special correspondent) Lehendakari Juan José Ibarretxe’s visit to Argentina and Uruguay in No- vember had a double purpose: to in- crease the political and economical ex- changes with these two members of Mercosur on one hand, and to strength- en relations with the important Basque communities living in both States. This journey was surrounded by circum- stances that gave it a special impor- tance. It was Juan José Ibarretxe’s first The Basque community warmly welcomed official visit since he was elected Lehen- the Lehendakari. dakari by the Basque Parliament nearly a year ago. The visit took place when both countries were undergoing politi- José Ibarretxe was received in the Pink they talked about joint projects and cal changes, the transfer of power from House by Carlos Menem, who was still about the investments of Basque com- one administration to another in the the president at the moment. They ex- panies in the country. The elected pres- case of Argentina, and the celebration changed their points of view about the ident, Fernando de la Rua was under- of presidential elections in Uruguay. Argentinean and Basque situations, going a surgical operation, which pre- As a summary of this aspect of the vented him to see personally the Lehen- visit the Lehendakari pointed out that dakari. Finally Ibarretxe met the most the political leaders who will rule the • Argentina eta important members of the De La Rua destinies of Argentina and Uruguay team: Rodolfo Terragno, a key compo- during the next years have agreed to Uruguay-ko buruzagiek nent of the new Argentinean President’s strengthen political and economic rela- Euskadirekin dituzten cabinet. They both reached an agree- tions with Euskadi. Ibarretxe explained ment so that the Basque companies es- everywhere that Euskadi is willing to in- harremanak tablished in Argentina advise the Ar- crease the political and economic col- sendotzeko gentinean government in economic laboration, and he pointed out that the matters. Basque people “is not troubled but konpromezua hartu The Secretary of Foreign Action, peace-loving, hardworking and with a dute Iñaki Aguirre, and the Director of Rela- calling for universality” tions with Basque Communities, Josu During his stay in Argentina Juan Legarreta, accompanied the Lehen- 11 dakari during the visit. Ibarretxe was more industrial part of his visit, the also received by the authorities in the Lehendakari supported with his pres- Gobernación de Buenos Aires, the ence the presentation of the Harbor of Palacio Municipal de la Plata and the Bilbao as a strategic place for the en- Municipality Assembly of Bahia Blanca, trance of goods in the European Union. as well as by the Argentinean deputies He also visited the central offices of of Basque descent. several Basque companies established in the country. BUSINESS ASPECTS His two-day stay in Uruguay took place when the second round of the The different meetings with Argen- presidential election was impending. tinean businessmen took a great part of The hot struggle between the Encuen- the official visit of the Lehendakari. Dur- tro and the Colorado (red) party made ing one of the meetings José Ignacio de it very difficult to keep the appoint- Mendiguren, General Secretary of the ments made with Tabaré Vazquez and Argentinean Industrial Union (UIA), Jorge Battle. The latter could not see spoke in favor of starting a new stage the Lehendakari, who saw instead the in Argentinean economy similar to vice-president of the Colorado party, what has taken place in Euskadi during Luis Hierro, and the president of the the last few years. He mentioned the Blanco (white) party, Luis Alberto La- need for a “planning of the economic calle. After the meeting with Tabaré pattern of the country”. During this Vazquez Juan José Ibarretxe had a Homage to Artigas in Montevideo Argentinean to the pot, “Argentinean to the pot..., but also The Lehendakari Juan José Ibar- Basque”. Patxi Aguirre a “porteño”, retxe, his wife, Begoña Arregui, and whose father was born in Erandio, the Basque delegation that visited Ar- Bizkaia, and was exiled after the Span- gentina and Uruguay witnessed a ish civil war when he was only a child, spectacular welcome from the Basque is a typical example of the Basque communities in Buenos Aires and Mon- community who received the Basque tevideo. The Basque National Week delegation in Argentina and Uruguay took place in mid-November in Bahía in November. Argentineans and Blanca. The Basque Union of Mutual Uruguayans proud of their countries Assistance of Bahía turned a hundred but also fully identified with their his- years old, and the Basque community torical, cultural, linguistic and senti- of Argentina decided to celebrate its mental Basque heritage. annual reunion in this important port. The number of first or second-gen- The Lehendakari was the guest of hon- eration Basques living in those two or in this double celebration. countries is decreasing steadily. How- The celebrations program of this ever, a Basque from Euskal Herria on National Week included the celebration his first visit to Argentina and Uruguay of the reunion of all the Basque centers would be surprised by the fervor with of the country, where the role of the Eu- which these descendants of Basques skal Etxeak in the 21st century was dis- from Baztán, the Gohierri, Gernika, cussed. The Lehendakari acknowl- Maule or Aiala keep alive the memory edged in the presence of a thousand of their ancestors, adapt Basque folk- people the important work of the lore and traditions to their culture and Basques in Argentina and he urged, es- learn again a language whose origin pecially the young people, who filled lies more than ten thousand kilometers the premises, to keep passing on the away. values of their ancestors. 12 moving reunion with the President of the country, Julio María Sanguinetti, who has had a long relationship with Euskadi, and obtained in 1997 the “Lagun Onari” Distinction of the Basque Government. But there weren’t only high level re- unions with politicians and business- men. The Lehendakari, who was ac- The Basque delegation had institutional meetings and companied by his wife, Begoña Ar- they also took part in several acts organized by the Basque community. regui, had the chance to get a closer look at these countries and learn more about their ideas. He also received the warm welcome of the Basque commu- nity and the Basque centers federations in Argentina and Uruguay. The Lehen- dakari’s busy visit ended with the con- ferences he gave at the universities of La Plata, la del Sur (Bahía Blanca) and the Catholic University of Uruguay, as well as with the inauguration of a train- ing project in Buenos Aires. ■ but also basque” FESTIVE ACTS grandfather Patxi for most of the year. We would also like to mention, among The festive acts were an important the hundreds of people who took part in component of the National Week, and the Basque Week, the Uruguayan Juan they filled with joy all premises of the Pedro Arín, who acted as a cicerone for Basque Union and a great part of Bahía part of the Basque delegation both in Ar- Blanca. Excursions, dance exhibitions, gentina and in his own country. kalejiras, tamborradas, exhibitions, con- The visit of the Basque delegation certs by Alaitz eta Maider, a young and was made even more enjoyable, if pos- successful group that came for this occa- sible, by the presence of many Basque sion from the Basque Country, completed descendants scattered all over the hu- a week where the young population man geography of Argentina and played the main role. These same young- Uruguay. sters met the Lehendakari and his wife at Brian Covaro, for instance, a young the dance organized by the Basque man from Patagonia, who has just ob- Union, and they kept asking both of them tained a degree in sociology by the Uni- to dance and pose for home pho- versity of La Plata, was taking notes dur- tographs to fill the family albums. ing the Lehendakari’s conference in this Many Argentinean-Basques attend- university. Brian, whose grandmother ed these celebrations, among them Patxi was from Tafalla and emigrated to Ar- Aguirre, whom we mentioned before, gentina aged three, wants to write his who was chatting with his son, Martin, thesis on the difficult subject of Basque who lives in Euskadi. Martin Aguirre nationalism and the peace process. came some years ago to visit Euskal Her- For him and for all the people who ria, and he met his wife during that trip. made this visit to Argentina and Now he lives in Llodio, Alava, and he has Uruguay unforgettable, we wish from two children, dearly missed by their Euskal Herria peace and prosperity. ■ 13.