MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ushuaia honours descendants of ten original families settled a century ago

“It is the history behind each of these families that helped build the large history of Tierra del Fuego with its first settlers...” mayor Walter Vuoto said

The mayor of Ushuaia, capital of Tierra del Fuego province, extreme south of Argentina honoured the descendants of ten original families that settled in the territory over a century ago. The ceremony headed by Mayor Walter Vuoto, lawmakers and members of his cabinet, took place at the Monument to the Tierra del Fuego pioneers, with the unveiling of a plaque in remembrance of the ten families represented by their descendants.

“It is the history behind each of these families that helped build the large history of Tierra del Fuego with its first settlers, so with this homage, we are recognizing their legacy and support to this house, our home, still under construction, brick by brick, but which every day offers us an improved shelter and opportunities”, said Vuoto.

The families names in the plaque included the Peric-Beovic (1903), Freire-Calderón (1910), Miranda-Bernales (1919), Padin- Moreira (1919), Galiñanes-Vivar (1920), Otero-Saldivia (1920), Bernales-Macías (1921), Bronzovich-Bezmalinovic (1921), Pavlov-Sapunar (1921), Wilder-Bernales (1921), all of them with a century as part of the history of the provincial capital, and their loyal descendents.

“Here we are again together, embracing and sharing this celebration so important for the heritage of the city and these centennial families”, added the mayor. “We were told we were coming to the end of the world, but we came out strengthened because nothing is constructed in solitude or without sacrifice, effort or determination”

“We have now an enormous challenge, maybe as demanding as that of those centennial families who built, from zero, their dream of this city at the end of the world. Where some saw nothing, they envisioned all and advanced in this adventure of solidarity and collective construction”

Vuoto recalled that the monument was “an aspiration for many, for too many years, and was only completed only a few years ago, and now with this plaque dedicated to the ten families, can only be a motive of great pride and confidence in the future of this great city”

In the name of the families, descendant Adriana Bronzovich said how proud they felt with this recognition, and invited all those attending to think and value the efforts of their ancestors.

“There was nothing when my grandparents arrived here but immediately fell in love with this land, their soil, their plot to build a home and grow a family”