The event to officially present the new Basque club in Patagonia was attended by many who enjoyed the most attractive aspects of the Basque culture: good dances, great food and wonderful festive climate. From the next door Andean province, Mendiko Eusko Etxea in Bariloche participated in the festivities and promised the newly formed club that they will come back again soon.
San Martin de los Andes, Argentina. After holding several organizational meetings beginning in the month of June, the Basque community in San Martin de los Andes took the big step to officially present the Basque club to the local community. Their goal is to spread the work that is being done to further consolidate the project.
The recently formed group invited the Mendiko Eusko Etxea Basque club from Bariloche, neighbors in the Rio Negro Province that doesn’t only have a long History of activity, but also a large dance group that added music and color to the event. In the words of Gustavo Iturralde, one of the main supporters of Gure Txokoa, “We wanted to make an impression on the community and so we invited the dantzaris from Bariloche because we knew that their dances would get the audience’s attention, and that they did. It was a great event, everything was perfect and everyone enjoyed themselves.”
Looking at their future, both clubs promised to continue working together to conserve and promote Basque customs in the Andes. In fact, representatives from Mendiko Eusko Etxea have already invited the neuquinos to their first activity in 2015. They are also planning a joint presentation at the Semana Nacional Vasca next year in Macachin.