EHNA in Argentina

Udalbiltza gladly announces a deal between Udalbiltza and a number of Eusko Etxeas in Argentina to start issuing the EHNA to Basques in that country.

Here you have the information:

Udalbiltza will sign agreements with Argentine euskal etxeak to allow EHNA processing in the Diaspora

Within the important framework of the National Basque Week in Argentina, which is being held in the city of Necochea this year, Udalbiltza announced it will sign agreements with a series of euskal etxeak in order to make the processing of Euskal Herriko Naziotasun Aitormena (EHNA, Declaration of Basque Nationality) possible for the Diaspora of the said South American country. At least three euskal etxeak expressed their disposition to process EHNA.

This initiative was presented by the elected councillor for Irun and member of the Udalbiltza Executive Commission, Peio Gascon, during a press conference held in Necochea, the location of the aforementioned yearly events, which congregates over a thousand members of the Basque population in Argentina. Gascon appeared before the press flanked by representatives of the towns of Trenque Lauquen (Ignacio Uriarte), Buenos Aires (Irene López), Rosario (Santiago Bereciartua) and San Miguel (Mariana Fernández).

After expressing the gratefulness of the Basque national institution towards the Diaspora in Argentina, “for having maintained and extended Basque culture all year round, and especially this week”, Gascon stressed that this year the Udalbiltza delegation “has not just come to inform you of the situation in the Basque Country and to listen to your thoughts and contributions, we are also offering the Diaspora an opportunity to take part in the Nation Building process and in the struggle to obtain all political and civil rights for the Basque Country”.

He said, “As part of its defence of the rights of the Basque Country, Udalbiltza will continue on the road we begun with the Charter of Rights of the Basque Country, in favour of the right of our country to have national status”. He insisted that “in this field of political and civil rights , the Basque Country, thanks to Udalbiltza, has a practical tool: EHNA, a declaration of Basque nationality which all Basques can join through a personal and freely taken decision”. Then he announced that “as of this week, we are extending EHNA processing to Basques from the Diaspora”.

Gascon explained it was an initiative directed at the Diaspora, “in order to claim Basque nationality, which cannot be substituted by any other nationality”, in a reference to the nationality of Diaspora Basques, in this case, Argentine nationality. Thus, he pointed out that EHNA processing within the Basque community overseas “will only afford a chance to declare the internationally recognised right through which any person has a right to a nationality”. “Through EHNA, the declaration of Basque nationality, all Basques have an opportunity to express their link to the Basque Country in an individual and collective manner” he added.

“today, we have been joined by a number of people and euskal etxeak from Argentina, who support and will bolster the EHNA dynamics in this country” said Gascón, who highlighted the fact that the General Villegas, Trenque Lauquen and Tres Arroyos euskal etxeak will take on EHNA processing on an institutional level. In addition, EHNA will also be processed (through people expressly authorised for this task) in Buenos Aires, Rosario and Bolivar. However, Gascon expressed his conviction that “more euskal etxeak will join this initiative from now on”.

*You can also read the entire text in Euskera at Artxiboak.

.... ... .