Before a crowd and with the presence of veterans of the South Atlantic War, the largest monument in the country was inaugurated in Zapala.
Governor Rolando Figueroa and the mayor of Zapala, Carlos Koopmann Irizar, inaugurated the Soldado de Malvinas monument, and the event was attended by provincial and municipal officials, national and provincial deputies, veterans and families of combatants from all over the country and mayors of several towns in the province.
The work, built by Aldo Beroiza, has a height of 17 meters and is the largest Argentine Soldier monument in the entire country.
Figueroa remembered and honored all the young heroes and also dedicated special recognition to the Neuquén fighters.
“Aldo’s art is the art of the hands of the Neuquéns; “I applaud the effort and vision of Mayor Carlos Koopmann, to be able to plant in the center of Neuquén this figure that day after day will make us Malvinian and remind us of the courage of our heroes,” said the president.
He expressed that “many times, at each milestone that calls us to unite, some seek divisions. And divisions should not exist in a people that is united behind a flag.”
“The Argentine soldiers fought with honor and dedication, the face of this tribute that Aldo made will allow each one to put the face of all the soldiers,” he said and added: “We want to put on this face, the face of more than the 23,000 mobilized and the 11,000 people, heroes who were in the Malvinas war. 649 heroes remained on the island. Many other heroes are among us every day.”
The governor stated: “Let us not forget everything these young people experienced, the cold of the South Atlantic that they endured, but what we cannot allow is for these young heroes to suffer the cold of our affection. We have to continue remembering them day by day. They are our heroes, they are these soldiers, they are this face” and he stated “Malvinas, yesterday, today and always in our memory”.
The Neuquén fighters Jorge Águila, Tulio Lacroix, Mario Flores and Eduardo De Ibañez were remembered through different expressions.
For his part, Mayor Koopmann maintained that “this monumental sculpture not only becomes part of our landscape, but also becomes a necessary beacon of memory and tribute to all those brave men who participated in the Malvinas feat; It is an honor to receive today veterans and family members from every corner of our extensive and rich country,” and added “Zapala opens his arms and pays the tribute that they especially and personally deserve to the Neuquén soldiers who died in the war .
Aldo Beroiza indicated that “This soldier was thought of in a difficult moment that is happening in our country where they have practically divided us; “This soldier is made for those who were in the Malvinas, for those who remained in the Malvinas and for those who were on the continent, because we are brothers, and we cannot be separated in a country that needs us,” and he also recognized the female relatives. of the soldiers and women who also participated in the war.
There were, among others, the vice governor Gloria Ruiz, the minister of Development, Local Governments and Women, Julieta Corroza and the ministers of Security, Matías Nicolini and of Infrastructure, Rubén Etcheverry.
After the opening ceremony, members of various educational institutions, security forces and delegations of veterans and family members from different provinces paraded.
