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Pigüé, Argentina. Even if they aren’t in daily contact with the area Basque clubs – since the closest one is in Bahia Blanca 130 kms away – the Basque descendants in Pigüé, know how the community is organized and are up to date on the activities that they are carried out to disseminate the Basque culture in Argentina.  Excited by these experiences, they have started to get together in hopes that their group grows and later gets established.

“In the beginning we searched Basque surnames on the internet.  Later we went through the local phone book and we started contacting anyone with a Basque last name, one by one.  We also did a call via local media and the response was very good at the four dinners that we have done so far.  The idea this year is to get the largest number of Basques in Pigüe and the area together.  The city has 15,000 inhabitants and many of them have a Basque last name.  As they become aware of us, they begin to join.  Later we will address organizing a club with all the steps that that entails,” explained Veronica Olleta, whose family came to Argentina from Nafarroa, specifically Otsagabia.

Monthly get-togethers

The Basques in Pigüé get together once a month, on the third Monday of the month at the Navarra Cafe-Resto.”We try to make it as affordable as possible.  In regards to the menu, we try to incorporate Basque gastronomy, and make tortillas and lentil stew for example.  In addition, we also try to present a gift at each meeting, for example a Basque flag to attach to your car, or a Basque music CD, or newsletters with Basque curiosities in them.  We try to continue to discover ourselves, and for me, honestly, I didn’t know where my grandfather was born and now I have undertaken the job of noting all the Basque last names in all of Argentina and from there to extract those in Pigüé and that data can also be reported,” said Ana Maria Zugasti, also a granddaughter of Nafarroa, in a note published in the local Reflejos.

Following the established routine, the next meeting will take place on Monday September 16.  Anyone who would like to participate should contact those responsible on the groups’ Facebook page, or via email: veroniquitatelar@hotmail.com or mariaeolleta@hotmail.com. You can also get more information from the Resto Bar Navarra in its Facebook page Navarra Cafe-Resto. “Anyone who feels Basque should not hesitate to join us, it is a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other and have a good time,” propose the organizers of the meetings in Pigüé.