In an event commemorating the 5th anniversary of the NIDO and Parque Gral. Belgrano, the mayor of San Salvador de Jujuy, Raúl “Chuli” Jorge, made official the imposition of the name “Rubén Chuña Iriarte” on the amphitheater of said municipal space. This recognition highlights the relevance of the beloved reference of Jujuy culture and consolidates the amphitheater as a meeting space for the residents of Alto Comedero, who actively participate in the activities proposed by the institution since its inauguration.
In his words, Mayor Jorge highlighted the importance of Iriarte in the cultural field, “Chuña Iriarte, without a doubt, has been an icon for theater, for culture, for everything that has to do with community life. And here we are with the family, with their friends who cultivate the Independent Theater and who, in some way, are accompanying this imposition of the name on the amphitheater that is here in the NIDO in the General Belgrano Park,” said Jorge, highlighting the relevance of Go out into the community.
In addition, the mayor stressed the moral obligation of the municipality to pay tribute to figures as important as Iriarte. “It is an obligation of the municipality to pay this tribute with the support of the Deliberative Council, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the province, which also is present, and with a group that, clearly, shows the affection that was awakened by the life of an extraordinary being like our beloved Chuña,” Jorge added.
General Belgrano Park, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary, has experienced significant advances and improvements, such as the recent inauguration of a skate park. “There are new components that are enriching this General Belgrano Park, such as the recently inaugurated skate park and where we also have projects to continue advancing with recreational and sports activities, and fundamentally in this place, culture,” commented the mayor.
“We are constantly talking with the governor to be able to jointly carry out works that continue to project this vast sector of the largest neighborhood in the entire city of Jujuy,” Jorge indicated.
The mayor also emphasized the importance of the park as a community meeting space, “our objective is for this park, which is now 5 years old, to be a meeting place for the entire neighborhood and for the entire city of San Salvador de Jujuy. It is a park that has an urban scale, like Parque San Martín, which grows year after year with new activities. We are thinking about new equipment, so we are inspired by the fact that more and more families are using it, so we are very satisfied with it.”
For his part, Lisandro Aguiar, president of the Deliberative Council, also spoke about the tribute and importance of General Belgrano Park, “the truth is that these meeting places that our mayor has been generating throughout the country are a pleasure. the city. Without a doubt, Belgrano Park is one of them, today here we are not only celebrating its anniversary but also recognizing a man of our culture, who has a lot to do with theater in Jujuy, that those of us who have had the pleasure of “To know him, we know what he was like for the culture of Jujuy and particularly for the theater,” said Aguiar.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of Culture of the province, José Rodriguez Bárcena, described in words what “Chuña” Iriarte represented for artistic groups, “the dear Chuña, who before being a great actor, was a great person, a gentleman, a person with whom it was so pleasant to share talks, ideas, suggestions and was a dreamer and achiever like the “El Pasillo” theater, which is a true jewel of the city.”
And in this framework, the imposition of the name on the municipal cultural space in Belgrano Park stood out, which is part of a broader strategy of decentralization of culture promoted by Mayor Chuli Jorge. Rodríguez Bárcena recalled that in 2007-2008 the city had only one place dedicated to culture, the Manuel Belgrano Cultural Center, and over time, multiple spaces have been generated throughout the city. “As the years go by and with this decision to decentralize, to give a place to culture as an area of growth, personal and human development, so many spaces are generated throughout the city,” he stressed. Currently, the city has around 15 cultural spaces, including multi-spaces and amphitheatres. This achievement was highlighted by the provincial Secretary of Culture: “it is the creation of a public policy to support culture in real and concrete terms, spaces that work, that permanently propose alternatives, spaces with teams of people who work with commitment in each of the contents,” he stated.
Leticia Iriarte, daughter of the great Chuña Iriarte, commented, “Many emotions together, as Chuli said, we have known each other all our lives and it means a lot to us. I thanked him because it is a lot, but as he told me: he deserves this and much more. Chuli has a big heart, he is very generous and is always thinking about the well-being of others. He filled me with pride, it is a very great emotion. My dad taught us, he left us a lot, a great legacy, not only as a father, but as a man, a person. He was a great fighter for popular theater. He will be remembered, not only by his peers, but by many generations that came after him. And, as Chuli said, he always bets on places, on public spaces, so that the entire town, all the people can access it. And many of those who were able to share, or not, with my daddy, have such a beautiful space to come and remember him.”
