MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Darwin Monument moves one step nearer completion
Members of the Argentine Families Commission responsible for the co-ordinating the projected monument to the Argentine war dead to be built at the Darwin Cemetery hope to visit the Islands next week to put the finishing touches to the paperwork, sign an agreement with a local construction company and set the next stage of this project in motion.
A delegation headed by the organisation representing the next of kin of all 649 war dead, Families Commission president Hector Cisneros, vice president Delmira de Cao and treasurer Leandro de la Colina plan the fly to the islands some time next week with the architects responsible for the project to hold a series of meetings with island authorities, the island's Planning and Building Committee and local construction firms with a view of putting the finishing touches to this project and hopefully draft and sign a contract between the parties involved.
The project to build a Memorial to the Argentine war dead at the Darwin Cemetery is part of the 1999 Argentine British Agreement.
Speaking to MercoPress De la Colina explained that the trip may have to be done in a private jet "as we simply cannot afford to spend a week on the Islands, however much we would like to. We all have other commitments here in Buenos Aires and are unable to be away from town the week required should we use the weekly Lan Chile flight."
"We feel that this Monument is already serving the purpose of bringing us all closer together. The level of understanding we have reached with all the different parties involved in Argentina, Britain and the Islands was simply unimaginable not so long ago. We feel that building this monument will mark a watershed - and hopefully a way ahead - in the long road of overcoming our existing differences" he adds.
De la Colina explained that the bulk of the funding for the project has already been obtained. "We have carried out our fund raising in a most transparent way and every cent collected will be duly audited." Donations continue to be accepted from people of any nationality and background - including British or Islanders. We have said along that we will gratefully accept all donations made by people who sympathise with the object of honouring those fallen in combat, irrespective of their nationality, background or beliefs."
After five years of negotiations the Families Commission feels greatly optimistic ? and extremely gratified to see as this project "one to which we are all so deeply committed" explains De la Colina, "continues moving ahead."
De la Colina apologised for not giving further details of the ongoing negotiations explaining that the Commission was cautious about speaking about the final outcome of next week's visit "until we have worked out the details with our Islands' associates in this project" but said he was optimistic that no insurmountable obstacles existed.
Nicholas Tozer (MP) Buenos Aires
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