Montevideo, Uruguay. Basque clubs in Montevideo have carried out several activities over the last few months, in a very prolific autumn for the Basque-Uruguayan community. In the first place, and in chronological order, on October 12th FIVU, the Federation of Basque Institutions in Uruguay, organized a tribute to Lehendakari Agirre at the National Library, on the 75th anniversary of his arrival to Uruguay.
It is well known that Jose Antonio Agirre, the first Lehendakari (president) of the Basque Government had to flee Euskadi during the Civil War and crossed Nazi-occupied Europe, under a false identity. Franco and the Nazis had put a price on his head, but his trip took him to be hidden in Berlin, until he was able to go to America. He first arrived in Brazil and then on October 9, 1941 he went to Uruguay, where he could finally recuperate his identity.
FIVU wanted to honor Lehendakari Agirre with a presentation that took place in the “Maestro Julio Castro” room at the National Library.
Talk at the Euskaro Basque Club
The Euskaro Basque Club organized a talk that was also dedicated to the arrival of Agirre to Uruguay on November 17th. The talk was given by Juan Pedro Arin, and archival data from that time was presented, with photos from the Sabino Arana Foundation, and archives of deceased Euskaro associate Jorge Arin, the bi-monthly magazine, Euskal Erria and registers from the House of Representatives and the Uruguayan Parliament, that welcomed the Lehendakari at a special session, with dignitary honors.
Among those present were members of the community like Baldomero Ansó, Carlos Larragueta, Lucia Goñi, Basque teacher Andrea Bella with her students, Juan Carlos Ariztegui, Julio Garcia Denis, Félix Latienda, Juan Arin, Elsa Spinoglio Aguirre and Silvia Ortone Enderiz, among others.
Activities at Euskal Erria
During the month of December and continuing with the chronicle of International Day of Euskera festivities, the Euskal Erria Society let us know about their activities on December 2-6, with a program that began with the re-inauguration of the Plaza Jesus de Galindez, located on the corner of Gral. Batlle and Jesús de Galíndez, in the capital city. As part of the event, Agurtzane Aguado, president the Euskal Erria Society unveiled a plaque in honor of Galindez, victim of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, assassinated in 1956.
On the International Day of Euskera, December 3rd, there was a commemorative act of the Bombing of Gernika at the plaza of the same name. Xabier Irujo, Director of the Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno gave a talk and txistulari from Mar del Plata, Aitor Ormaetxe, along with dantzari Martin Mendiola paid tribute by dancing Agurra. The event concluded with the participation of the local Voces de la Plaza Choir
Also on the 3rd, but in the afternoon, the Euskal Erria Society was the site of a meeting of three Basque-American publishers: CBS Press at the University of Nevada, Reno (US), Ekin in Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Euskal Erria in Montevideo (Uruguay.) During the meeting titles published at each were presented. Xabier Irujo presented Basques in Cuba edited by William Douglass, a tribute to the book that Jon Bilbao would published with Ekin in 1958; and the bilingual (English-Basque) edition of Macbeth, on the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, translated into Basque by Bingen Ametzaga in 1942, even if that translation hadn’t been published until now.
Maria Elena Etcheverry, director of Ekin in Buenos Aires, presented La Odisea de Xabiertxo by Koldo Ordozgoiti, Historia de Radio Euskadi by Leyre Arrieta, Contraviaje by Arantzazu Ametzaga and, Diasporako Bertsoak by Asier Barandiaran. Finally the Euskal Erria publisher presented The Rise of Legal Professions in Bilbao de William MacAlevey, José Luis de la Lombana by Iñaki Anasagasti and Josu Erkoreka, and Ecos Vascos del Uruguay, a selection of Basque-Uruguayan poems by the former Minister of the Interior and Defense of Uruguay, Raúl Iturria.
Conference Tribute
On December 5th there was a presentation done by Dr. Irujo who talked about the episodes of genocide that took place in the Basque Country from 1936-1945.
Euskera Day celebrations concluded with a tribute held at the House of Representatives of the Uruguayan Parliament on the welcome of Lehendakari Jose Antonio Agirre on October 8, 1941. At the event, the Deputy of the National Party, Pablo Iturralde, promoter of the tribute addressed those present and also referred to the speech given by the Lehendakari himself that stressed “courage,” and encouraged those present to challenge “the powerful voice of international fascism.”
As part of the ceremony, as previously reported by EuskalKultura.com, there was a video greeting shown from the President of the Basque Parliament, Bakartxo Tejeria, and also the Deputy of the Frente Ampio, the government’s party, Jorge Pozzi and deputies German Cardoso from the Colorado Party, Daniel Radio, from the Independent Party.” The representative so the Movement for Popular Participation, also addressed those present and encouraged their support for the people who are fighting for the right of self-determination in the Basque nation.
After the session, those present went to the Acuña Figueroa Room where the Euskal Erria publisher's representative Agurtzane Aguado presented the President of the Parliament, Gerardo Amarilla, a copy of Lehendakari Agirre’s diary, a copy of the history of the Euskal Erria Society and the history of the Basque Government in exile. Afterwards the president of Euskal Erria Society addressed those present, again recalling the words in support of Lehendakari Agirre by Dr. Alberto Guani, President of the Supreme Court in 1941. The event concluded with Dr. Irujo's thanks to all the American nations for their support of Basques in exile followed by Agur Jaunak by the Voces de la Plaza choir.
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