MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Malvinas Veterans set up the Dignity Tent in Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego

The Dignity Tent in Rio Grande next to the Monument to Malvinas Heroes

Malvinas Veterans set up the Dignity Tent in the city of Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego, in anticipation of the traditional April 2nd vigil, the day when Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands and occupied them for 74 days, surrendering to the British Task Force sent to recover the South Atlantic archipelago.

Tierra del Fuego governor Gustavo Melella, deputy governor Monica Urquiza, members of the provincial government and Veterans organizations were present at the event, where Melella thanked all those who helped to set up the tent, which is “the house of the people of Tierra del Fuego”.

“Our Veterans are the most loved peopled in our city. I remember not so many years ago when a gust of wind blew the tent away, but with their typical push and determination, Veterans quickly set up another tent, Dignity Tent” governor Melella recalled.

“I also remember when the pandemic impeded us from setting up the tent, but now it's over and the Dignity tent is up again, for which the community of Rio Grande is so grateful”.

Melella also mentioned that in the aftermath of the 1982 war, and in a very hard context, Veterans started the dignity vigil with a bonfire, to keep the sovereignty claim over Malvinas alive and the bonfires rapidly extended to the whole country

“And today more than ever all Argentines must claim what belongs to us, what is ours, and has always been ours”

Melella stated that “as we are seeing in the XXIst century, wars are not understandable, the invasion of another territory is not understandable, but also in this century, as war is despicable, so is British colonialism”

Finally the Tierra del Fuego governor underlined, “we insist with the claim, and always will, from a position of peace but with the facts and truth. As our remembered Father Zink, would say, the truth does not shout. We Argentines are not shouting, because we have the truth on our side, because the truth is Malvinas were, are and will be Argentine and from Tierra del Fuego”