Ibone Bengoetxea, Vice-Lehendakari and Minister for Culture and Language Policy of the Gobierno Vasco, stressed the importance of Basque self-government and the diaspora for the future of Euskadi at the Semana Nacional Vasca in Villa María (province of Córdoba, Argentina), stressing the importance of Basque self-government and the diaspora for the future of Euskadi. Before around 1,000 members of the Basque-Argentine community, she commemorated the 90th anniversary of the first Gobierno Vasco under José Antonio Agirre and highlighted the values that guided it: freedom, democracy, social justice and human rights.
In her speech, Bengoetxea linked the historical memory of 1936 with current priorities in autonomous policy. She identified the energy transition, technological transformation through artificial intelligence, access to housing, and the strengthening of public services and capacity for innovation as key challenges. The powers enshrined in the Estatuto de Gernika had made it possible to develop independent policies in areas such as health, education, culture, industry and research, thereby promoting prosperity and social cohesion.
She placed particular emphasis on the language: Argentina had been a pioneer in the institutionally organised teaching of Euskara outside the Basque Country. The programme, launched in 1990, Argentinan Euskaraz had evolved into today’s Euskara Munduan According to the Basque government, around 75 euskal etxeak worldwide offer Euskara classes, about half of them in Argentina. Bengoetxea thanked teachers, learners and associations for their commitment to passing the language on between generations.
In addition to her appearance at Semana Nacional Vasca, the Vice-Lehendakari attended the annual meeting of FEVA, the Federación de Entidades Vasco Argentinas. There she reaffirmed the Gobierno Vasco’s support for the centres’ work and outlined projects for further cooperation on language promotion and the certification of language courses. She also called on the diaspora not only to nurture cultural ties, but to develop new partnerships in knowledge exchange, innovation and business.
Bengoetxea recalled the historical connection between José Antonio Agirre and Argentina, which gave refuge to the Lehendakari in exile. These close ties had helped keep Basque identity, culture and language alive over many decades. The message of her visit to Villa María was one of continuity: the diaspora should continue to be an active part of a global Euskadi, firmly connected to its roots and open to partnerships that create economic and social opportunities.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).