MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Schools in Mar del Plata to be named after 1982 war fallen

Mar del Plata City Council Speaker Marina Sánchez Herrero was very moved when making the announcement

Public schools and kindergartens in the Argentine beach resort and port of Mar del Plata will be named after local combatants fallen in the 1982 Malvinas War, it was announced Monday. The initiative was approved unanimously by the City Council.

During a ceremony at the Army barracks of the 601st Air Defense Artillery Group (GADA 601), Mayor Guillermo Montenegro and City Council Speaker Marina Sánchez Herrero made the announcement on the occasion of the group's 41st anniversary of its baptism of fire.

“It is hereby imposed in those municipal kindergartens, primary and secondary schools without a name the name of the Argentine Army war veterans domiciled in Mar del Plata and who died in the war conflict”, read the ordinance promoted by Frente de Todos (FdT) Councilwoman Mariana Cuesta.

“The ordinance adds that Lieutenant Alejandro Dachary, First Sergeant René Pascual Blanco, Corporal Roberto Adrián Busto, as well as Privates Class 62, Diego Martín Bellinzona, Jorge Alberto Llamas, and Claudio Alejandro Romero, are the recognized heroes.”

After the ceremony, Sanchez Herrero stressed that “it was a deeply emotional” ceremony which “took us back to that day and I did not stop crying; we were deeply moved” after a dynamic demonstration of how anti-aircraft artillery shot down two British Sea Harrier planes.

“Today I came on behalf of the body to bring the ordinance through which municipal schools can be named after Malvinas veterans and in particular those who had to do with this event,” added Sánchez Herrero. “It was very emotional ... to see the relatives of the names that the schools will bear,” she said.