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Buenos Aires, Argentina.  The monthly meeting of the Board of Directors of FEVA was the event chosen by Sara Pagola, the new Delegate of Euskadi for Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, to establish the first contact with members of FEVA.  Pagola was received by FEVA president, Ricardo Basterra, who after welcoming her expressed in the name of the Basque Argentinean clubs his gratitude for the “immediate contact with the organized Basque community in the country.”

“We got the chance to get to know each other at the meeting, and to establish a deep, constructive and hopeful dialogue that was dominated by the necessity to work hand in hand, supporting each other, and also reaffirming the need to maintain frequent contact and talk about projects that we can work on together with the Delegation and the other euskal etxeak,” Basterra told EuskalKultura.com.  

First talks with the Basque-Argentinean Diaspora

The Delegate also told us her satisfaction with this first contact with the Basque community in Argentina. “I am a new-comer, last Thursday was my first day here, but I wanted to approach FEVA to start to get to know the Basque club representatives.  Day before yesterday, I also made another visit, in this case to the Laurak Bat.  Both meetings were successful and allowed the exchange of ideas,” according to the Basque Government representative.

Sara Pagola, also expressed that “even if the new Government authorities are still settling in, the Secretary General for Foreign Action has very clear guidelines.  In this regard, it should be noted that the Basque Government’s Foreign Action will focus on the following five objectives: first, to encourage sustainable development in the Basque Country, promoting our sectors of interest; second, to participate in the construction of Europe; the third goal is to focus on expanding ties with Basque communities abroad; fourth, introduce the world to Euskadi, and finally to collaborate in the construction of a more balanced world,” specified the delegate, a native from Elgoibar.

Official Presentation

In speaking to EuskalKultura.com, Pagola also anticipates her official presentation to take place son as part of a tour of most traditional Basque clubs in Argentina.  During the trip that will take place in mid-April, she will be accompanied by the Director of Basque Citizens and Communities abroad, Asier Vallejo Itsaso, which will include some cities in Uruguay and Brazil among its destinations.

Finally, the list of Basque club representatives who went to FEVA headquarters, in some cases traveling several hundred kilometers, to participate in the meeting includes: Ismael Martínez de Alegría and Gerardo Echeverria, from Villa María; Miguel A. Valencia and his wife, from Mar del Plata; Damián Cebey, Javier Tisera, Juan Martín Hormazábal and Tais Romagnoli, from San Nicolás; José María Etchegoin, from Tandil; Pablo Curré, from Río Cuarto; Javier Ederra, from Bahía Blanca; María Ángeles Oñederra, from José C. Paz; Julio Esnaola, from Villa Mercedes; and  Mikel Ezkerro and Ana G. de Basterra. FEVA’s board of directors was also present including Secretary Marta Abarrategui, Vice-Presidents: Juan José Olasagastia and Arantxa Anitua; and Treasurer Hugo Andiazabal.