In an event that cuts across the entire Argentine society, the two most important clubs in the city of La Plata today paid their respective tributes to the Malvinas ex-combatants.
From 1:00 p.m., Gimnasia began the ritual paying tribute to the “Ex Soldiers and Combatants of Malvinas” branch, made up of former combatants who sympathize with the club, created in 2007.
“Since the end of the war until today, Gimnasia is one of the clubs that has the most relationship with the cause. He was the first to name ex-combatants honorary partners, just days after the conflict ended, and also the first to have a subsidiary made up exclusively of ex-soldiers, all of them Columbas.«said Agustín Bellido, president of the club’s Human Rights Subcommittee. So much so that, in 2012, the board of directors made the decision to name the skate room at the headquarters «Heroes of Malvinas.»
The event, held two blocks from the field, in “La Placita”, located on 117th Street and 113th Diagonal, began around 2pm with a lunch organized by the fans, and then gave way to musical shows by Caro Petri, Clara Navarro and the murga Bloco Kubadwe. The day ended around 6 p.m., when the verses of the National Anthem were sung and the central tribute took place.
Pincha’s turn came at 5 p.m., on the Paseo de los Professores, located near the UNO Stadium, with live music, the participation of relatives of combatants and the group “Students of Malvinas,” which brings together former combatants who sympathize with the club. There, a plaque was inaugurated alluding to Argentine sovereignty over the islands and included the intervention of the Estudiantes choir, which performed the National Anthem, as well as a version of “The Little Sister Lost,” by Atahualpa Yupanqui.
“Since we returned from the Malvinas we have been here, but as a group we have been here relatively recently. Every recognition is a caress to the soul. For us, for those who remain. We always try to live the life that they couldn’t live: studying, working and being good people.«said Néstor Sánchez, a member of the group, who, at only 19 years old, had to go to war as a mere Columba.
“The Malvinas case is something that touches us very closely. I escaped because I was married, but my companions from the 7th Regiment were not as lucky and were«, recalled Edgardo «Tony» Llanos, manager of the club’s buffet, who was almost sent away in 1982, despite having been discharged from military service in 1976.
Whether in football clubs, libraries, schools or public and private institutions, the Malvinas issue is one of the few unifying points in Argentine society that, year after year, finds a way to pay tribute to its former combatants. Not only for the islands themselves, but also for the hundreds of young people who lost their lives—before or after the conflict—to keep them present and show that the cause is more alive than ever.
