Minister Garamendi shares the current situation of the Basque Country with the Basque diaspora in Chile

• At the conference given for the Basque community in the South American country, Minister Garamendi highlighted “the importance of the Basque Community abroad, they are the great ambassadors of our country”

Olatz Garamendi, Minister of Public Governance and Self-Government, gave a conference to a large group of representatives of the Basque community in Chile at the Euzko Etxea in Santiago. During her speech, Garamendi highlighted “the importance of the Basque Community abroad, because it is a great ambassador for our small and great country”.

In a Euzko Etxea (Basque house) with more than 110 years of history, the Minister was touched by the people present for “the feeling of rootedness and pride that you give off and the closeness to the Basque Country despite the physical distance”.  And she reminded them that they are “a fundamental part of our identity, of the preservation of our culture, our traditions and our language. We must always thank our diaspora for this.” Garamendi also wanted to highlight the importance of this type of meeting that “strengthens us as a people in an increasingly globalised world”.

In addition, the Minister explained the current political issues in the Basque Country, emphasising that “more self-governance means more well-being, since better and closer management of resources and policies results in the development of the country. For this reason, we will continue to demand self-governance pending transfer, regardless of the colour of the government in the Moncloa Palace.”

Garamendi previously held a meeting with representatives of the different Euskal Etxeak in Chile, the two Euzko Etxeak (Santiago and Valparaíso) and the Basque Community in Chile.