Issue no. 50YEAR 2001

Euskadivotes forpeaceEuskadivotes forpeace

The PNV-EA coalitionwins the election

EUSKAL ETXEAKIssue 50 - YEAR 2001 URTEA

EGILEA AUTHOR

Eusko Jaurlaritza-Kanpo Harremanetarako Idazkaritza Nagusia

Basque Government-Secretary General for Foreign Action

C/ Navarra, 201007 VITORIA-GASTEIZPhone: 945 01 79 00

A-Aguirre@ej-gv.es

ZUZENDARIA DIRECTOR

JOSU LEGARRETA

KOORDINAKETA ETA IDAZKETA COORDINATION AND EDITORIAL OFFICE

SILVIA ARROYO

BENAN OREGI

KOLABORATZAILEAK COLLABORATORS

DAVID RÍO

MIREN ELOSEGI

JOSEBA ETXARRI

ARGAZKIAK PHOTOGRAPHS

JON BERNARDEZ

MUNDO DEPORTIVO

JOSÉ MARTÍN AZARZOLA

ARGITARATZAILEA EDITOR

Eusko Jaurlaritzaren Argitalpen Zerbitzu NagusiaBasque Government Central Publication Service

INPRIMATZAILEA PRINTING

GRAFO, S.A.

LEGAL DEPOSIT: BI-841-96

Laburpena SUMMARY

EDITORIALA■ EDITORIAL

– Basque society wants peace....................................................................................................... 3

HAUTESKUNDEAK■ ELECTION

– The polls confirm Euskadi’s confidence in Ibarretxe’s platform............................................................................................................................................ 4

– Unprecedented participation...................................................................................................... 6

– The path is clear to form a government................................................................................ 7

PERTSONALITATEAK■ PERSONALITIES

– The ‘Universal Basque’ award................................................................................................... 8

– Six entrepreneurs receive the Korta award........................................................................... 8

– ‘Con Mucho Gusto’, a distinction for things well done .................................................... 9

– Álava promotes the Vitoria Jazz Festival in Manhattan..................................................... 9

ERREPORTAIAK■ ARTICLES

– Robert Laxalt, the Basque who wrote..................................................................................... 10

– Vitoria-Gasteiz, a city of the eighth century .......................................................................... 12

– Aid for purchasing a home ........................................................................................................ 14

– Bilbao Metropoli 30 proposes organizing an Expo............................................................ 15

– A wish come true .......................................................................................................................... 16

– Humboldt the traveler ................................................................................................................. 18

– Armani takes the measurements of the Guggenheim..................................................... 19

– Musical ambassadors................................................................................................................... 20

– Basque cyclists reach the greatest heights............................................................................ 22

– Europe surrenders to the greatest Alavés in history.......................................................... 24

– SIT conference in Bilbao ............................................................................................................. 25

EUSKAL ETXEAK■ BASQUE CENTERS

– Euskadi left its mark on Mar del Plata..................................................................................... 26

– Information on the Basque Centers........................................................................................ 28

– News from Euskadi by e-mail ................................................................................................... 30

LABURRAK■ NEWS BRIEFS

– News Briefs...................................................................................................................................... 31

L a b u r p e n aS U M M A R Y

3

E D I T O R I A L Editor iala

BASQUE SOCIETY WANTS PEACE

Since the election held on May 13th, a new stagehas been set for Basque politics and society. A new erathat requires cooperation from everyone. This will tocooperate was best demonstrated in the series ofconversations that we recently concluded with all Basquepolitical parties with parliamentary representation, in anatmosphere of serenity. These conversations have beenopen, frank and illuminating, and have allowed us toexchange impressions and points of view on two issues:the structure of the new Government and an evaluationof the political situation.

Regarding the first issue, things have been greatlyclarified. The People's Party (PP), the Socialist Party(PSOE) and Euskal Herritarrok (EH) have made publictheir intention to remain in the opposition. I hope theiropposition will be a constructive one, for the sake of ourCountry. As for me, I have shown them my willingness tolead an open government, which will consider anycontributions geared towards improving upon ourinitiatives to continue building a better society forEuskadi. We want to put special emphasis on balancinggrowth with solidarity. That is the model of our Countrythat we wish to present to Europe.

The only doubt that remains to be clarified is theparticipation of the United Left (IU) in this new era. Iwould like to make it clear that all alternatives remainopen, and have expressed this to IU's GeneralCoordinator. In any case, the deadlines have beenestablished and I intend for us to have a newgovernment by the first half of July, with an approvedplatform and a new executive branch operating bysummer.

Once again, I would like to send a message ofserenity, effectiveness and institutional normality to theBasque Country. We shall continue working to keepBasque society from coming to a standstill.

We have also discussed the political situation. All ofthe parties acknowledged that we have now been givena new opportunity for politics. We must all speak to eachother because all of us must seek the paths to Peace,which are based on the defense of life, dialog andrespect for Basque society. These are three principles thatBasque society has embraced and asked us to follow.

The first is the commitment to the Defense of Lifeand Human Rights. Therefore, our priority objective willbe to defend the liberty, safety and human rights of allpersons using all means within our reach.

The next principle is Dialog. Only by talking willproblems be solved. However, we must make it quiteclear that normalized political agreements shall only bepossible between those of us who share the defense oflife as a basic fundamental principle.

Based on these two elements, we must construct aprocess of normalization, living together in anatmosphere of Respect for the Will of Basque Society.

However, to start upon this path, we mustreestablish trust between us. Our commitment must beto reduce tension and create a more relaxed political andsocial climate. After that, we must proceed steadily.Without haste, but without stopping. We must becareful not to run faster than our legs can carry us, as werun the risk of tripping and falling. We all want peace assoon as possible. We mustn't get carried away, but wecannot remain still. We must all take advantage of thisnew opportunity to seek the Peace and politicalnormalization that the society of the Basque Country hasentrusted to us. ■

JUAN JOSÉ IBARRETXE

4

Hauteskundeak E L E C T I O N

3342.72%

PNV-EA

1923.12%

PP-UA 1317.90%

PSE-EE

710.12%

EH

35.58%

IU-EB

The new Basque Parliament

2128.01%

PNV

1620.13%

PP14

17.60%

PSE-EE 1417.91%

EH6

8.69%

EA

21.26%

UA

25.68%

IU-EB

The previous Basque Parliament

THE POLLS CONFIRM EUSKADI'SCONFIDENCE IN IBARRETXE'S PLATFORMThe PNV-EA coalition was the big winner in the May 13th Basque elections

EH, which lost half of the 14 seatsgained in the previous regionalelection. IU, on the other hand, isanother political formationreestablished in this election, and willnow have an another representativein parliament, in addition to the twoseats gained in the 1998 election.The coalition led by Javier Madrazo

The majority of the Basquecitizens who went to the polls enmasse on May 13th decided tosupport the platform presented bythe PNV-EA coalition. The final resultsgave this group 33 seats on theBasque Parliament, one more thanthe sum of the 19 won by the PP andthe 13 by the PSE-EE. TheLehendakari of the Basque Govern-ment, Juan José Ibarretxe, willtherefore enjoy a wide margin whenputting together his new cabinet.

The breakdown of votes by

Eusko Legebiltzarrerako hauteskundeetanEAJ-EA koalizioak arrakasta historikoa izanzuen. 33 eserleku lortu ondoren, jardunekolehendakariak, Juan José Ibarretxek, aukerazabala du Jaurlaritza berria osatzeko. PPk 19eserleku bildu zituen -nahiz eta Arabannagusitasuna galdu-, eta PSEk 14. EHk porrothandia izan zuen eta EBk emaitza hobeakizan zituen aurreko hauteskundeen aldean.

provinces has alsobeen favorable tonationalist inte-rests, as the PNV-EA block won thegreatest number of votes in Bizkaia(Biscay), Gipuzkoa and Araba (Álava).In this last province, the nationalistseven beat the results obtained by thePP-UA, the coalition currentlygoverning Álava's institutions.

Regarding the other parties thatachieved parliamentary represen-tation, a significant blow was dealt to

Xabier Arzallus, Juan José Ibarretxe and Begoña Errastiembrace after hearing the election results.

ALAVA2001 1998

GIPUZKOA2001 1998

BISCAY2001 1998

5

E L E C T I O N Hauteskundeak

E V O L U T I O N O F T H E V O T E S C A S T D U R I N G T H E L A S T E L E C T I O N S93 94 95 96 98 99 00 01

National Regional Municipal National Regional Municipal National Regional

PNV 287,908 304,346 310,659 315,793 350,322 347,41724.44% 29.84% 28.36% 25.43% 28.01% PNV-EA 31.32% PNV-EA

EA 117,856 105,136 118,482 103,628 108,635 397,580 86,557 604,22210.01% 10.31% 10.82% 8.35% 8.69% 34.69% 7.8% 42.72%

PP 175,758 146,960 160,702 251,743 203,25514.92% 14.41% 14.67% PP-UA 20.13% 17.74% PP-UA PP-UA

UA 16,623 27,797 21,586 231,286 15,738 9,680 323,235 326,9331.40% 2.73% 1.97% 18.63% 1.26% 0.84% 29.14% 23.12%

PSE-EE 293,442 174,682 188,105 298,499 220,052 219,451 266,583 253,19524.91% 17.13% 17.17% 24.04% 17.60% 19.15% 24.03% 17.90%

HB-EH 174,655 166,147 160,280 154,853 224,001 228,169 did not 143,13914.83% 16.29% 14.63% 12,.47% 17.91% 19.91% run 10.12%

IU-EB 75,572 93,291 79,816 116,133 71,064 50,905 62,293 78,8626.42% 9.15% 7.29% 9.35% 5.68% 4.44% 5.62% 5.58%

Seats Votes %

PNV-EA 12 335,945 43.77

PP-UA 6 181,404 23.64

PSE-EE 4 139,648 18.2

EH 2 61,894 8.06

IU-EB 1 43,701 5.69

Seats Votes %

PNV 9 224,542 33

PP-UA 5 139,161 20.4

PSE-EE 5 125,834 18.5

EH 4 100,377 14.7

IU-EB 1 42,714 6.2

EA 1 41,096 6

Seats Votes %

PNV-EA 12 203,445 44.69

PP-UA 4 82,792 18.19

PSE-EE 4 74,042 16.26

EH 4 64,409 15.25

IU-EB 1 23,731 5.21

Seats Votes %

PNV 6 88,857 22

PP-UA 4 67,112 12.6

PSE-EE 4 65,548 16.2

EH 7 103,057 25.5

IU-EB - 18,744 4.6

EA 4 56,821 14.1

Seats Votes %

PNV-EA 9 64,832 33.85

PP-UA 9 62,737 32.75

PSE-EE 5 39,469 20.61

EH 1 11,836 6.18

IU-EB 1 11,430 5.97

Seats Votes %

PNV 6 36,923 21.9

PP 7 45,470 27

PSE-EE 5 28,670 17

EH 3 20,567 12.2

IU-EB 1 9,606 5.7

EA 1 10,718 6.3

UA 2 14,305 8.5

won one seat in each province,regaining parliamentary represen-tation in Gipuzkoa.

After a campaign marked bythe strong division betweennationalists and non-nationalists andthe assassination of the president ofAragon by ETA, Basque citizens wentto the polls en masse to continuewith the policies of the party that hasgoverned the Basque Country for thepast twenty years. This was a vote forpeace and hope, according to JuanJosé Ibarretxe, who has called fordialog among all the parties toconfront this new era in the BasqueCountry, created after the May 13thelections.

The Basques have chosendemocratic nationalism and dialog asthe path to progress in the BasqueCountry. "The majority has said wewant peace. We do not want deaths,or insults, or divisions; we want tomake peace between us all,abertzales and non-abertzales, andthe only way to do that is by sittingdown and talking", said theLehendakari, who thanked theBasques for the lesson in democracythey gave with their response at thepolls. ■

Data provided by the Basque Government's Department of the Interior

6

Hauteskundeak E L E C T I O N

1980 (60 seats)

PNV 25

HB 11

PSE 9

EE 6

UCD 6

AP 2

PCE 1

1984 (75 seats)

PNV 32

HB 11

PSE 19

EE 6

AP-PDP-UL 7

1986 (75 seats)

PNV 17

HB 13

PSE 19

EE 9

EA 13

CDS 2

AP-PL 2

1990 (75 seats)

PNV 22

HB 13

PSE 16

EE 6

EA 9

PP 6

UA 3

1994 (75 seats)

PNV 22

HB 11

PSE-EE 12

IU 6

EA 8

PP 11

UA 5

1998 (75 seats)

PNV 21

HB 14

PSE-EE 14

IU 2

EA 6

PP 16

UA 2

2001 (75 seats)

PNV-EA 33

HB 7

PSE-EE 13

IU 3

PP-UA 19

EVOLUTION OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE BASQUE PARLIAMENT

1980 1984 1986 1990 1994 1998 2001

59.768.4 69.6

60.9 59.6

69.9

79.9

Participation in regional elections (%)UNPRECEDENTEDPARTICIPATION

Maiatzaren hamahiruko hauteskundeetanparte hartzerik handiena izan zen demokraziaezarri zenetik hona. Botoa ematera deitutakoherritarren ia %80k erabili zuten eskubide horiEuskal Herriko hiru lurralde historikoetan.

The recent regional electionheld in Euskadi has made history forseveral reasons. One of the mostimportant was the number ofpeople who went to the polls todeposit their vote for the future.From the time they opened in themorning, voter participation re-cords were being broken each hour.Finally, at the end of the day, thenumber of voters mobilized wasfound to be several percentagepoints greater than in previouselections. Almost 80% of theeligible voters answered the call,achieving the highest level of voterparticipation since democracy wasrestored in Spain.

By province, Biscay recordedthe highest rate of participation(80.1%), ahead of Gipuzkoa(79.7%) and Álava (79.50%). Allbeat their highest previous recordsby ten points.

The increase in the number ofpeople who went to the polls wasalso reflected in absentee voting,

which tripled with respect to the1998 election.

In this manner, the citizens ofthe Basque Country responded tothe call by all Basque politicalformations, who had based theirhopes of increasing the number ofballots in favor of their platforms bydecreasing abstention.

The upward trend in voterparticipation was noticeable from

CENSUS

VOTES

PARTIC. (%)

PNV-EA

PP

PSE-EE

EH

IU-EB

Total

26,396

6,545

24.78

2,389

1,343

1,500

522

256

Álava

1,190

485

25.26

110

192

96

31

11

Gipuz.

9,247

2,624

28.38

863

447

537

265

110

Biscay

15,229

3,432

22.54

1,316

704

867

226

135

Total

32,858

10,552

32.1

4,165

2,898

2,161

625

384

Álava

2,600

903

34.7

254

386

145

43

39

Gipuz.

11,797

3,939

33.3

1,494

987

908

306

140

Biscay

18,461

5,710

30.9

2,417

1,525

1,108

276

205

Absentee votes in the election 1998 2001

the beginning, though it wasconsolidated as time passed. Itdefinitely surpassed the expec-tations of the Basque Country'sDirector of Electoral Processes, whohad predicted 70% participation.Euskadi gave an unprecedentedresponse to the call for regionalelections. ■

B A S Q U E E L E C T O R A L L A W

In Basque parliamentary elections, the electoral system used is knownas the D’Hondt Law, where the electoral districts are the "HistoricalTerritories" (provinces). For each of the three Basque provinces, 25members of parliament are elected.

In order to gain seats in Parliament, the candidacy must obtain at leastthree percent of the total number of valid votes cast in that district. Seatsare assigned to each party in that province in accordance with thefollowing rules:

– The lists of candidates are closed.

– After the votes have been counted, the lists are placed in orderfrom the largest to the smallest number of votes received.

– The total number of votes for each candidacy is divided by one,two, three, etc.

– Seats are assigned to the lists receiving the greatest quotients.

If, upon assigning a certain seat, two or more candidacies obtain thesame quotient, the tie is broken by increasing the number of decimals.Should the tie continue, the seat is given to the candidacy with the mostvotes overall. Once the number of seats has been established, they areawarded to the candidates by strictly following the order in which theirnames appear on the lists. ●

7

E L E C T I O N Hauteskundeak

deadlines for electing a Lehendakari,allowing the political parties anindefinite time period to negotiatethe formation of the next BasqueGovernment. ■

Juan José Ibarretxe hasi dahitz egiten alderdipolitikoekin EuskoJaurlaritza eratzeko. Mapapolitikoak aukera zabalaeskaintzen dio EAJ-EAri,bakarrik gobernatzekonahiz beste alderdibatzuekin itunak egitekoaukera baitu orain EAJ-EAk.

The wide margin of victoryobtained by the PNV-EA coalitionhas left the current Lehendakari,Juan José Ibarretxe, responsible forforming the new government. Hehas already completed a round ofconversations with the differentpolitical formations, though thespectrum created after the electioncould allow his majority coalition togovern alone. With the 33 seatsobtained, his policies could prevail,as the seats won by the PP and PSE,the so-called ‘constitutionalistblock’, add up to 32.

I b a r r e t x e h a s a l r e a d yannounced that he will form agovernment "without grudges"and has discarded the idea of apossible pact with Euskal Herri-tarrok unless ETA lays down itsarms. Along these lines, he saidthat in Euskadi "we are all needed"to open up a new era of dialogleading to a life of peace for allBasques.

From the United Left, JavierMadrazo has clearly chosen to signa pact to support the PNV-EA in itsnew presidency, without discardingthe idea of Socialist participation.However, the latter party hasalready announced that it willremain in the opposition.

The regulations of the BasqueParliament do not establish strict

Votes %

PNV-EA 46,244 38.40

PP-UA 32,045 26.61

PSE-EE 21,846 18.14

EH 12,426 10.32

IU-EB 7,429 6.17

SAN SEBASTIÁN

Votes %

PNV-EA 91,630 38.83

PP-UA 71,030 30.10

PSE-EE 43,122 18.27

EH 13,852 5.87

IU-EB 14,828 6.28

VOTES BY PROVINCIAL CAPITALS

BILBAO

VITORIA-GASTEIZ

Votes %

PNV-EA 41,521 29.13

PP-UA 50,248 35.25

PSE-EE 32,882 23.07

EH 7,363 5.17

IU-EB 9,503 6.67

The path is clear to forma government

Per tsonal i tateak P E R S O N A L I T I E S

THE UNIVERSALBASQUE AWARDPablo Mandazen ikerlariak zientziari etahezkuntzari emandako 70 urteak esker-tzeko saria jaso zuen lehendakariareneskuetatik.

The ‘Universal Basque’ award for the year2000 went to the Navarrese priest PabloMandazen, more commonly known as ‘BrotherGinés’, in recognition of an entire life devoted inbody and soul to science and humanitarian workin favor of the indigenous peoples of Venezuela.The recipient, who said he was proud to beBasque and happy about the "most preciousaward my people could give me", has dedicated70 years of his life to serving education andresearch. Specialized in zoology, Mandazenfounded and directed La Salle Science Society inCaracas. He arrived in this city in 1939 and claimsto feel "grafted" to it.

Pablo Mandazen has received fiftyinternational awards, but was especially excitedto be honored as a ‘Universal Basque’. Thisscientist, a native of the Navarrese town of Aez-koa, has always been proud of his status as an

euskaldun and never fails to promote the Basquepeople, whom he professes to love deeply, everywherehe goes.

A staunch defender of Basque immigrants in theAmericas, Mandazen acknowledged his commitment toEuskadi during the awards ceremony. He also encou-raged the creation of a Basque Center in Caracas. ●

Six entrepreneurs receive the Korta awards

Entrepreneurs Baltasar Errazti (TecinmecGroup), Ignacio Garmendia (Letag), Jesús MaríaAguirre (Jema), Donato Iribecampos (Condesa),Imanol Basañez (Pavimentos Alaveses) and JoséRamón Ercoreca (Supermercados Ercoreca)received the José Mari Korta award from the

Lehendakari, Juan JoséIbarretxe, in recognitionof their outstandingprofessional careers. Ibarretxe stressed thecontribution of thesemen and the groups theyrepresent to putting anend to the economiccrisis that affectedEuskadi during the 80's,and wondered if a nationcapable of reaching itscurrent situation ofprosperity would also beable to achieve peace.

At the beginning of his speech, the Lehendakarispoke of Joxe Mari Korta, the president of theGipuzkoan employers' union murdered by ETA.Starting this year, the business-related awards willbear his name. ●

8

P E R S O N A L I T I E S Per tsonal i tateak

Gusto’ (With Great Pleasure) awards. These aregiven by the Basque Government's Department ofIndustry, Commerce and Tourism, directed by JosuJon Imaz, to honor those companies who havesucceeded in their projects and found a niche forthemselves in the always complicated andcompetitive economic world.

Thus, the recently granted awards for theyear 2000 have gone to three companiesrepresenting each of these three sectors. For

industry, GKN Transformaciones Ibéricareceived the award from the Lehendakari,Juan José Ibarretxe, for having become theworld's leading brand in the design, deve-lopment and manufacture of transmissionsystems for the automobile industry.

The jewelry store Joyería Jolben, ofVitoria-Gasteiz, was given the tradeaward, while the tourism award went tothe Transbordador de Vizcaya, morecommonly known as the ‘PuenteColgante’ (Hanging Bridge), a historicaland artistic monument since 1984, whichtransfers an average of six millionpassengers and 500,000 vehicles from oneside of the Nervión estuary to the othereach year. ●

‘Con Mucho Gusto’, a distinction for thingswell done

Arabako Foru Aldundiaren eta 17 upelte-giren ordezkariek "Gran Manzana" dela-koa bisitatu zuten, nazioartean gehienezagutzen diren Arabako produktuakhan ere aurkezteko.

On April fourth, representatives of theProvincial Government of Álava performed anextraordinary act in the Great Apple, where theyintroduced the twenty-fifth annual Vitoria JazzFestival, scheduled to start the second week ofJuly. In addition to the institutional represen-tatives, led by the president of the provincial government, Ramón Rabanera, Iñaki Añua, the director of theFestival, and a delegation sent by 17 wineries from the part of La Rioja located in Álava also visited the U.S., amajor market for their products.

The presentation took place at the Birdland jazz club in New York, and was attended by more than twohundred people, including guests, organizers and the media. The provincial representatives took advantage of theopportunity to promote Vitoria-Gasteiz and Álava as a tourist destination, stressing their most internationalcharms.

Among the 200 guests, the Manhattan party was attended by prestigious wine critics, chefs from certainfashionable restaurants and those in charge of Culture and Gastronomy for the New York Times. The wine tastingwas a great success. There was also a musical performance by saxophonist Joe Lovano, who offered a sneakpreview of what he'll be playing in Mendizorroza in July. ●

April was the month for recognizing those whocontributed to building Euskadi as a country of thefuture. In addition to the ‘Universal Basque’ and ‘JoxeMari Korta’ awards, there were the ‘Con Mucho

ÁLAVA PROMOTES THEVITORIA JAZZ FESTIVAL AND RIOJA WINES IN MANHATTAN

9

ROBERT LAXALT:THE BASQUE WHO WROTE

"Ni ez naiz euskal gaietako aditu bat,idazten duen euskaldun bat baino". Era apalhorretan definitzen zuen Robert Laxalt-ekbere burua, Ipar Amerikako euskaldiasporaren literaturaren aitzindariak etalurralde haietako euskal azterlanensustatzaileetako batek. Maiatzaren 23an hilzen Renon (Nevadan) Robert Laxalt. EstatuBatuetako euskal diasporak bereerreferentzia literario nagusiena ezezik, IparAmerikan euskaldunak ezagutarazi zituenaere galdu du.

Almost since childhood, Bob Laxalt hadnurtured his particular ‘American dream’: to becomea writer. There was a time when he considered it animpossible goal because, in spite of his universityeducation, his family origins were quite humble (hisfather was the classic Basque shepherd in theAmerican West); he lived in a small, semi-rural statelike Nevada and knew nothing about the ins and outsof the literary world. In fact, for a long time, literaturewas merely a hobby for Laxalt, whose professionalcareer mostly unfolded in the area of journalism.Ironically, his ‘American dream’ started to come truewhen he embarked on a physical and spiritualjourney back to his Basque roots. In fact, it is quite

remarkable that his first trip to the Basque Countrydirectly resulted in his first literary success, SweetPromised Land (1957). This work, after beingtranslated into German, French and Euskera(Dominique: artzain xiberotar bat Nevadan,1988), was recently published in Spanish (Dulcetierra prometida. Un pastor vasco en el Oesteamericano, 2000).

The origins of Sweet Promised Land date backto 1953, when Laxalt and his siblings managed toconvince their father, Dominique, to make the trip tohis native land, so often postponed. He had neverreturned since his arrival in America 47 years before.The Laxalts' stay in the Basque Country was not verylong, barely one month, and basically covered onlyLower Navarre and Zuberoa, but it left a deepimpression on both men. For Dominique, it was anemotional return to his past. For Bob, it was his firstdirect contact with the world of his ancestors, and aculture and way of life that had been part of hisfamily environment during his childhood and youth,but whose presence had been notably diluted by the‘Americanization’ process affecting immigrants in theU.S. Therefore, it can be said that for Bob Laxalt, thejourney became an instrument for him to learn abouthis roots, while also forming an unbreakable bondbetween him and the land of his ancestors. As Bobtold me on one occasion:

"... the first time I went with my father toEuskal Herria, I fell in love with that land. I hadgrown up in the desert and found it difficult toimagine so much beauty. Also, I felt thatsomehow Euskal Herria had always beensomewhere in my memory. I fully identifiedwith that land and its people, who arecharming, vigorous and frank".

Sweet Promised Land not only put an end tothe invisibility of Basques in the U.S.(demographically, their numbers are much smallerthan those of other immigrant groups), but alsoserved as a tribute to the Basque shepherd. In fact,some sectors of American society saw Basqueshepherds as mere foreign usurpers of westernpasturelands and water. As Bob Laxalt himself readilyadmitted, "Socially, the Basques were one of the

Per tsonal i tateak P E R S O N A L I T I E S

10

Robert Laxalt's workplace at his residence in Nevada.

P E R S O N A L I T I E S Per tsonal i tateak

groups on the lower end of the scale, mainly becausethe majority worked as shepherds". His book becamea symbol for many immigrants residing in the U.S.,who fully identified with the story because of its abilityto reflect both the courage to meet the challenge ofadapting to a new country, and the love for one'sroots.

After the success of Sweet Promised Land,Laxalt participated actively in the resurgence ofBasque culture in North America, a phenomenonsymbolized by the celebration of the First WesternBasque Festival in Reno in 1959. This event served asa source of cohesion for the Basques in the area, whilealso providing them with a magnificent opportunity topublicly manifest their identity. He also participateddecisively (along with Jon Bilbao and WilliamDouglass) in the creation of the Basque StudiesProgram at the University of Nevada (1967), anotherkey event for ending Basque invisibility in NorthAmerica. In fact, this program (now called the Centerfor Basque Studies) is currently considered the mainBasque culture and research institution outside ofSpain.

In spite of his versatility as a writer, Laxaltconsolidated his literary reputation through newworks with fundamentally Basque themes. Hebrilliantly addressed the experiences of the BasqueDiaspora in the U.S. in novels such as The BasqueHotel (1989) and The Governor’s Mansion (1994),becoming the literary interpreter par excellence ofBasque emigrants in North America. Laxalt alsoshowed exceptional artistic talent while portraying thetraditional Basque Country, in stories such as A Cupof Tea in Pamplona (1985) and Child of the HolyGhost (1992). These works all decisively contributedto increasing interest in Basque issues by the Americanwriters of the second half of the twentieth century,while also serving as a source of inspiration for otherauthors of Basque origin, such as Frank Bergon,Gregory Martin and Robert Laxalt's own daughter,Monique.

Robert Laxalt told me on more than one occasionthat there were only two places in the world where hewould like to die: Nevada and the Basque Country.Bob died in Nevada, his adopted land, a place he fullyidentified with and where he had received multiple

awards. Ina n y c a s e ,and in spiteof the inex-p l i c a b l escarcity oftranslatorsinto Basque

and Spanish that still affects most of Laxalt's books,the marvelous legend of his works will always keepthe memory of the ‘Basque who wrote’ alive amongus. ■

DAVID RIOProfessor of North American Literatureat the University of the Basque Country

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"Amets amerikar"Amets amerikarra" delakoara" delakoaegi bilakatzen hasi zitzaionegi bilakatzen hasi zitzaioneuskal sustraietara itzultzekoeuskal sustraietara itzultzekobidaia egin zuenean.bidaia egin zuenean.

BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE

Robert Laxalt was born in Alturas (California) in1923, to a family of Basque inmigrants who arrivedin the western U.S. from Iparralde at the beginningof the twentieth century. After completing hissecondary education in Carson City, Nevada, Laxaltbegan his university studies in Santa Clara, Cali-fornia. This stage of his life was interrupted byWorld War II, during which he was sent to the U.S.Consular Service in the Belgian Congo. After thewar ended, Laxalt graduated from the University ofNevada in 1947. At that time, he began his career asa journalist, publishing different articles inprestigious magazines such as National Geographic.From 1961 to 1983, he directed the University ofNevada newspaper. His link to this universityextended into other spheres, including his specialcontribution to the Basque Studies Program (1967)and his work as a professor at the College ofJournalism, starting in 1983. Robert Laxalt is mostlyknown for his renowned literary career, whichincludes 17 books and two nominations for thePulitzer Prize for Narrative. In 1986, he was honoredwith the Golden Drum by the MunicipalGovernment of Donostia for his contribution tomaking the Basque culture known internationally. ●

Errepor taiak A R T I C L E S

Restoration work at Santa MaríaCathedral uncovers the remains of an8th-century city in Vitoria-Gasteiz

Vitoria-Gasteizek aurten 820. mendeu-rrena ospatzen badu ere, Santa MariaKatedralean egiten ari diren indusketekhankaz gora jar dezakete hiriaren histo-ria ofiziala. Katedrala zaharberritzekolanek hiri baten aztarnak utzi dituzteagerian. Hiri hori VIII. mendekoa izandaiteke; eta, hiri horren ezaugarrien ara-bera, bakarra Estatu osoan.

King Sancho VI of Navarre founded Vitoria-Gasteizin the year 1181. That is, at least, the official version ofthe city's history, which may be quite inaccurate if theclaims of the archeologists working in the city's oldcathedral square can be verified. The restoration worktaking place in Santa María has uncovered the remainsof what may be a city from the eighth century or evenearlier, from Roman times. Carbon 14 dating will beused to determine what period these remains belonged

to. They were left by a primitive settlement built withmainly wooden architecture. The actual remains aresplinters, which can be dated with a very narrow marginof error.

Prior to this discovery,some archeologists hadfound scattered evidence,such as swords and otherinstruments older than theofficial dates for thefounding of Vitoria, whichgave them hope of findingthe remains of the ancientvillage. According to King Sancho the Wise himself, thelocals called it Gasteiz.

So far, two crypts with early medieval sepulchresand some remains of Roman settlements haveappeared. Thanks to rigorous working methodologies,much is now known about the ancient city: churchesolder than the current cathedral, a complex urban areanext to the primitive city walls, and dense occupation ofthe hill where the cathedral is now located, withwooden constructions. The origins of Vitoria-Gasteizmay even date back to Roman times.

Prestigious Spanish and international specialists areparticipating in the Santa María project. The director ofthe Havana Museum has worked on the excavation witha team of South American archeologists, supervised byUniversity of the Basque Country professor AgustínAzkarate. The scope of the archeological work has

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A R T I C L E S Errepor taiak

favored recognition of this university's Archeology Areaas an Associated Unit of Spain's High Council ofScientific Research (CSIC).

Recovery of the Old Cathedral

Construction of the gothic cathedral of SantaMaría started in the thirteenth century on a defensivewall that surrounded an ancient chapel and a series ofbuildings. Because of this peculiar location, the city's

o r i g i n s a r ehidden under thecathedral, whichhas been shakyfrom the verybeginning. I tshuge columns,curv ing undert h e p re s s u re ,

barely sustain the weight of the construction. This nearlyterminal illness caused a new cathedral to be builthalfway through the past century. However, with time,it was clearly necessary to recover Santa María, a templewith a brilliant style that holds great architectural andsentimental value for the people of Vitoria. The SantaMaría Cathedral Foundation promoted the project, withsupport from all relevant institutions.

The restoration process, which will take ten years,

will be unique in that there will be guided tours open tothe public. Visitors must wear hardhats, and the tourswill adapt to different stages of the project, whetherthey involve reconstruction or archeological work.

Five billion pesetas will be invested to finance this‘rescue operation’ to save a cathedral that, in previouscenturies, was considered one of the most important inEurope, which even Victor Hugo compared to NotreDame in Paris. The tours provide a unique opportunityto follow the project and participate in it throughcourses and workshops that teach nearly-extincttechniques and crafts. Work is already underway onpublications, exhibits, etc. As the work progresses, therewill be musical and theatrical activities and light andsound shows, as described in the master plan. Therestoration project has been praised by the Europeaninstitutions specializing in such matters, and itspublication will be presented over the next few monthsin Vitoria-Gasteiz, Madrid and Rome.

The success that greeted the guided tours of thearchitectural and archeological sites has prompteddifferent tourist organizations to design cultural routesthat will tour the historical part of the city with the OldCathedral as their base.

More than 25,000 people from Vitoria and visitorsfrom 50 countries have already taken the Santa Maríatours. They all agree that it is a unique opportunity dueto the personalized attention, historical explanationsand, above all, the characteristics of a building that willsoon be appearing in its own section of NationalGeographic. ■

50 her50 herrialdetako bisitariekrialdetako bisitariekegin dituzte dagoenekoegin dituzte dagoenekoSanta María KatedraleanSanta María Katedraleanprprogramatutako ibilbideak.ogramatutako ibilbideak.

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Errepor taiak A R T I C L E S

AI D FOR PU RC HASI NG

A HOM E

PROMOTIONS AWARDED

PROVINCE 1999 2000 2001 TOTAL

ÁLAVA 493 85 369 893

BISCAY - 380 292 672

GIPUZKOA 582 400 23 1,005

TOTAL 1,075 865 684 2,570

Etxebidek, Etxebizitzarako Euskal Zerbi-ztzuak, lau urte betetzen dituen honetanaukera zabalagoa eskaintzen dizkie etxebizi-tza eskuratzeko Administrazioaren laguntzajaso dezaketenei. Aurten 4.281 etxebizitzaesleitu dira, eta horietatik 648 zozkatu dira dagoeneko.

Etxebide is the Basque Housing Service, acomplete information channel that the BasqueGovernment's Department of Regional Planning,Housing and the Environment provides to the peopleof Euskadi. It supplies information on the financial aidprograms established for the purchase, rental andrenovation of residences, as well as existing officially-sponsored housing programs. In the year 2001, thisservice, which has been operating for four years, hasoffered a greater number of properties in an attemptto meet the Basques' ever-increasing demand for afirst residence.

Through a complex computer network, allinterested citizens are sent the requested information,as well as the necessary forms to apply for a home.From the time they register, whenever a newpromotion begins, those applicants whosecharacteristics match the requirements listed are

automatically listed as possible recipients and are sentall information relating to the promotion.

The homes are awarded in a public drawingwhich can be attended by all persons meeting therequirements for participation in the promotion. Thenumbers previously assigned to each applicant areplaced in a drum and drawn at random, as in a lottery.The homes are awarded to the holders of the luckynumbers. The Basque Government later studies thecorresponding financial aid application, depending onthe type of residence (public, officially sponsored,normal, etc.) and the needs of each applicant.

So far, a total of 2,570 persons or family unitshave found a home through Etxebide. However, thedemand is enormous (there are a total of 82,000applications) and the service has increased thenumber of homes available, of which 3,597 have yetto be awarded.

Application requirements

To be entitled to aid from Etxebide, applicantsmay not own a home. Their income must fluctuatebetween certain limits, depending on the type ofhouse, and they must work or be registered to vote inthe municipal district or functional area where thebuilding is located.

The first advantage is that the flats available aremuch cheaper than those found on the free market.This is supplemented by the possibility of receiving aidfrom the Basque Government in the form of areduced interest rate for the mortgage.

Some of the homes that become availablethrough this program are reserved for persons withreduced mobility, those under 35 years of age andsingle-parent families with dependent children. ■

Data provided by the Basque Government's Department of Regional Planning,Housing and the Environment.

HOMES TO BE AWARDED IN 2001

ÁLAVA 1.394 8 PROMOTIONS 4 MUNICIPAL DISTRICTS

GIPUZKOA 1.083 19 PROMOTIONS 14 MUNICIPAL DISTRICTS

BISCAY 1.120 18 PROMOTIONS 16 MUNICIPAL DISTRICTS

TOTAL 3.597 45 PROMOTIONS 33 MUNICIPAL DISTRICTS

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Bilbao Metropoli 30 proposes organizing a World Expo in Bilbao

In April, the Bilbao Me-trópoli 30 association, whichbrings together 130 public andprivate institutions for thepurpose of revitalizing theBiscayan capital, presented thedocument ‘Bilbao 2010. TheStrategy’. More than 300 experts participated in thewriting of this report, which proposes an innovativefuture geared toward achieving the globalization of thecity. For this purpose, four objectives were established,one of which was the possibility of holding a WorldExpo here in order to show the world the reality ofBilbao and to facilitate collaboration with othercountries and economic agents. This would be a luxuryshowcase that would strengthen the internationalprojection of an area undergoing a complete economicreconversion, which would also become a catalyst for amultitude of public and private initiatives.

However, organizing an Expo was only one of theideas suggested by the association in this innovativedocument. Another ambitious proposal was to

regenerate the Zorrozaurrepeninsula, located right in theNervión estuary. This wouldinvolve revitalizing a decliningindustrial area which offers anegative image of the city,transforming it into a center of

research, technology and communication. This wouldbe achieved through activities related to innovation,which would find a place in the heart of Bilbao.

Another major project proposed by Metrópoli 30is the recovery of the old part of the city, whichincludes some of the most socially and urbanisticallydegraded areas. The plan includes a series of measuresto broaden the range of cultural activities offered andpromote activity in order to attract more population tothe area.

The objective of this whole strategy is to turn theNervión estuary into the backbone of metropolitanBilbao, making it an appealing meeting place for boththe locals and the increasing number of people whocome each day to visit the city. ■

MetrMetropoli 30-ekopoli 30-ekaurkeztutako besteaurkeztutako beste

prproiektu batek Bilbokooiektu batek BilbokoAlde ZaharAlde Zaharra susperra suspertutu

nahi du.nahi du.

Elkarteak plan bat egin du hiriko itsasadarra bere onera ekarri eta Bilbo metropoliko ardatz bihurtzeko. Elkartearen ustez, Erakusketa Unibertsal bat egin

beharko litzateke Bizkaiko hiriburua nazioartean hobeto ezagutarazteko.

Next April, Vitoria-Gasteiz will have a new arts center toadd to those that have created a major cultural circuitthroughout Euskadi in recent years. The Artiummuseum, housing one of Spain's most importantcontemporary art collections, will open its doors to thepublic. In this manner, a wish that began taking shape50 years ago will finally come true for the capital ofÁlava. At that time, it became apparent that the FineArts Museum, where the collections were kept untilnow, was not the ideal building for exhibiting them.

On display will be 1,300 paintings, sculptures,

photographs and videos, which will mainly focus on thecreations of the second half of the twentieth century.Earlier works will be merely testimonial, helping us toplace the real stars of the collection within the historicalevolution of contemporary art. Among the mostimportant creators represented in the collection aregreat figures such as Picasso, Miró, Tapies, Barceló,Oteiza and Chillida. The Basque art of the 50's will alsobe fully represented, with artists such as Larrea, Zumeta,Balerdi, etc.

However, the Artium is more than just an exhibitionroom. The idea of its director, Javier González deDurana, is for this building created by architect José LuisCantón to become a great cultural and artistic center.There will be workshops where renowned creators willbe invited to teach techniques to young artists eager tolearn. It will be a place for creation, with the instrumentsand space necessary to turn the museum into aproduction workshop. Through an agreement with theUniversity of the Basque Country, there are also plans tooffer Master's degrees and organize seminars, lectures,workshops and meetings.

There will also be a place for the performing arts at thenew Artium, which will be equipped with a stage. Thebuilding will also house two video rooms and acontemporary art library that will hopefully become themost important in Euskadi, gathering information notonly on large exhibits, galleries and museums, but also

Errepor taiak A R T I C L E S

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A W I S H CO M E T R U ESei hilabete barru amaituko dira Arabako hiriburu-ko Artium museoa -gaur egungo artea jasoko duenetxea- eraikitzeko lanak. Hurrengo urteko apirileanArtium museoak ateak irekitzen dituenean Gastei-zek duen gogo bizienetako bat beteko da; alegia,etxe egokia izatea Estatuan genero horretako bil-duma nagusienetako bat gordetzeko. Azkenean,erakustoki egokia izango du jendeak XX. mendea-ren bigarren erdiko euskal artea nahiz Espainiakoaikusi ahal izateko. Horrela, Artium-ak bat egingo duazken urte hauetan Euskadik bizi duen kultura boomarekin.

Compass (1986-87), Chema Cobo.

The News (1988), Charo Pradas.

on small shows and centers all over the world.

The building will have a surface area of 14,000 squaremeters, of which 4,000 will be devoted to exhibits. Inaddition to the permanent collection, the museum willwelcome approximately 15 temporaryexhibits a year. These will range from thedecisive figures of twentieth century artto the latest local, juvenile and avant-garde manifestations of today's artisticscene.

As far as acquisition policies areconcerned, the collection will retain themain criteria that it started out with 50years ago. Spain's situation ofinternational isolation at that timecontributed to a lack of works importedfrom abroad, which is why almost ahundred percent of the works are byBasque and Spanish creators. However,this philosophy will be altered in twoways. On the one hand, thoseresponsible for the Artium tried toinclude pieces from before the war toserve as an introduction for thecollection. On the other, the boundaries

will be opened through the acquisition of works byyoung foreign artists, broadening the geographicalcontext of avant-garde artists from other countries.

Separate collectionsFrom 1942, when the Vitoria Fine Arts Museum

was inaugurated, to the present, religious art, Basquecostumbrista art (dealing with local customs) andcontemporary art shared a building that soon becametoo small to house the increasing number of works.Almost from the beginning, it was apparent that spacewas needed to exhibit the works that were accumulatingin the storage rooms. It was necessary to fragment thecollections.

Over two years ago, construction on the Artiumbegan in order to solve this problem. A site was chosenin the center of Vitoria for a building that would housethe contemporary art collection, which had become oneof the most complete in Spain, surpassed only by theReina Sofía Museum in Madrid. Thus, the recentlyinaugurated Fine Arts Museum houses the Basquecostumbrismo and nineteenth century art collections,while the religious art has been moved to the retrochoirof the new cathedral.

Institutional collaboration

All of the relevant government institutions havecollaborated to make the Artium a reality. Its budget ofover 2.5 billion pesetas was covered by contributionsfrom the Basque Government, Spain's NationalGovernment, the Provincial Government of Álava andthe Municipal Government of Vitoria, which grantedthe land where the building is being constructed. ■

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Le peintre avec pinceau bleu (1983), Miquel Barceló.

Mother with child (1985), Juan Ugalde.

Series of modular columns(1986), F. San Miguel.

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18

2001ean 200 urte betetzen dira Alemaniakofilologo eta politiko batek -Wilhelm VonHumboldt-ek, alegia- Euskal Herrira bidaiaegin zuela. Eskola handiko ikerlari geldiezinhori Euskera ikertzeko behar zuen informaziobila hurbildu zen euskal lurraldera.Euskaldunen ohiturak eta kulturaktxundituta, Humboldt beste bitan itzuli zenEuskal Herrira eta Europako beste filologobatzuei eman zien euskararen berri.

A tireless, curious and restless traveler, the Germanlanguage scholar Wilhem Von Humboldt was in lovewith the Basque Country. In 1801, this friend of Goetheand Schiller first ventured into the land of the Basques.He was particularly attracted by the peculiarity of theEuskera language, which interested him greatly. At atime when the Euskal Herria territory was unknown tomost Europeans, Humboldt became a great ambassadorof the culture, language and customs of a nation thatalways amazed him because of its ability to preserve itsown identity.

This German is well-known by Euskera scholars forhis Comprobación de las investigaciones sobre losprimitivos habitantes de España mediante elbascuence (Verification of research on the primitiveinhabitants of Spain through the Basque language),which he wrote in 1821, introducing the Basquelanguage to other European philologists. However,Humboldt also wrote an account of hisimpressions from his first trip to theBasque Country, describing everythingthat particularly caught his attention.

"The ordinary Basque greeting is‘Agur adisquidea’ (Good morning,friend), accompanied by a handshake",wrote the German scholar, who wassurprised by the harshness of the jobsperformed by Basque women, which

were quite unusual for their gender in the early nineteenthcentury.

"Never in my life have I seen so many arduous jobsperformed by women. (...) In Bilbao, while unloadingships, they carry the heaviest loads on their heads. Even inthe forges, I have seen them occupied with the hammerand anvil".

Regarding the political system, Humboldt speaks verypositively in his account of the way decisions were madeby the inhabitants of the Basque Country.

"It is a pure and complete democracy. Nobody allowshis will to be replaced by someone more capable;everyone decides on each issue for himself, and a memberof parliament is only the agent of the majority of the votesin each community".

No less surprising for the German traveler were thecultural heritage and traditions of "a nation that haspreserved for many centuries its primitive language and, toa large extent, its ancient regime and customs". Amongthe latter, Humboldt stressed the local ball game, whichprevailed over social classes and sexual differences,bringing together the entire village.

As a conclusion from his journey, Humboldt indicatesthat it is cruel to keep the Basques divided by borders:

"Belonging to the same nation and speaking thesame language, (...) they should be united. This is one ofthe cruelties that is given the least consideration in ourwars, (...) the placement of a dividing wall betweenpeaceful inhabitants". ■

HUMBOLDT THE TRAVELER

Humboldt-i harHumboldt-i harrigarrigarriakriakiriruditu zitzaizkionuditu zitzaizkion

euskaldunen kulturaeuskaldunen kulturaondarondarea eta ohiturak.ea eta ohiturak.

Humboldt was pleasantly surprised by Euskadi.

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19

Baroque designs, with prints and embroidery, as well ashis most luxurious suits, far from the cliché neutral colors.

The Guggenheim also features a room devoted tothe celebrities who have worn Armani clothes in themovies or in spectacular ceremonies, such as the Oscars.Among those pictured are Sophia Loren, Richard Gere,Leonardo di Caprio and Michelle Pfeifer. ■

Giorgio Armani diseinugile italiarraksortutako lan garrantzitsuenen artekolaurehun daude ikusgai BilbokoGuggemheim Museoan irailera arte. Jostunentzutetsu horren 25 urteko lana aztertzenduen erakusketa paregabe horrek ikusminhandia sortu du ikusgai izan den lehenengobi hilabeteetan.

Is fashion an art comparable to painting, thecinema, or sculpture, subject to being understood andtreated as such? With a walk though the GuggenheimMuseum in Bilbao, one can find an answer to thisquestion. The building constructed by Frank Ghery hasfound room among its permanent modern art exhibits,oil paintings and watercolors, for a guest who is stillone of the most influential creators of the last decades,in spite of the fact that he belongs to anotherprofessional sphere. He is the prestigious Italian fashiondesigner, Giorgio Armani, who has been exhibitingsome of the most important pieces in his collections inBilbao since late March.

Thus, the museum has become a luxury catwalk,where flesh-and-blood models have been replaced byanonymous mannequins without heads, whosometimes hang invisibly from the ceiling. Clothing istransformed into an object of worship.

With this exhibition, the Guggenheim Museum isventuring into the world of fashion for the first time.The exhibit replaces a similar one that was on display inthe emblematic Wright Building in New York. Through400 of his men's and women's suits, Armani retraces 25years of work as a designer. All the glamour of theworld of fashion combines with the experienceacquired by the museum during its short life in turningexhibitions into consumer products for an extremelybroad audience.

The exhibition was designed by Bob Wilson, andthe mood music was composed by the AmericanMichael Galasso. He chose ethnic sounds to accompanythe exhibit, including the txalaparta, a native touch fora universal exhibition.

In Bilbao, Giorgio Armani breaks with hisreputation as a minimalist creator with a sober style.Most of the pieces exhibited correspond to his most

ARMANI TAKES THE MEASUREMENTSOF THE GUGGENHEIM

The same day that the Italian Giorgio Armanicelebrated a gala event prior to the inaugurationof his exhibition at the art center in Bilbao, anotherimportant fashion-related event, in this caseBasque, was taking place in the Gipuzkoan townof Getaria. Here, the first stone was placed toenlarge the building that will house the BalenciagaMuseum. Here, it will be possible to admire 150creations by the prestigious Basque designer whodied in 1972.The museum will be an entire complex devoted toCristóbal Balenciaga, located in the AldamarPalace, which belonged to the Marquis andMarquise of Casatorre, the grandparents of QueenFabiola. It was also the place where the designertook his first steps in the world of fashion.Work on the building began in the year 2000 and,once the enlargement is concluded, is scheduledfor completion in May, 2003. At that time, thepalace will house the rooms exhibiting thepermanent collection, as well as others fortemporary exhibits. ●

BALENCIAGA MUSEUM

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M U S I C AL AM BA S SAD O R S

of certain Basque composers in aland traditionally linked to Euskadiby immigration.

The Basque Government'sDepartment of Culture, the bankinggroup BBVA, the Federation ofBasque Centers in Argentina, theEuskal Etxeak in each of the citiesvisited and the Basque Institutes ofCooperation and Development inArgentina and Chile contributed tomaking this dream come true. Aftertwo years of organizational efforts,the Euskadi Symphony Orchestraharvested with its music what hadbeen so difficult to sow.

The program prepared for theoccasion included works by theBasque composers Arriaga andRavel, as well as Tchaikowsky's 4thsymphony, which could help the

reviews in each and every newspaperin the cities they visited. Meanwhile,the orchestra will continue to act as amusical ambassador for Euskadiwhenever it travels abroad. Theconcert season for the year 2002 isalready taking shape, and theorchestra is expected to celebrate itstwentieth birthday with a calendarthat continues its policy ofinternational openness.

The most international tour

In May, 2,000, the EuskadiSymphony Orchestra went on tourwith the greatest internationalprojection to date. After 18 years andmore than 2000 concerts, a group of94 musicians, Joaquín Achúcarro andthe musical director, Gilbert Varga,crossed the Atlantic tooffer six concerts inArgentina and Chile, aspart of the mostimportant musicfestivals in bothcountries. Theorchestra had alreadyperformed in Germanyand Austria, but SouthAmerica had becomeits most ambitiousproject. The idea wasto familiarize audienceswith its work and that

A year has passed since theEuskadi Symphonic Orchestraundertook its most ambitious projectin 19 years of existence. This Basquemusical organization, with pianistJoaquín Achúcarro from Bilbao as asoloist, made its debut in SouthAmerica with five concerts inArgentina and one in Chile. The tripwas an unqualified success, and hasforced them to consider furthertours in the Americas. However, theywill have to wait until their busyschedule will allow them to respondpositively to the invitations receivedafter their triumphant passagethrough that continent. Theirperformances there received thefervent ovations and glowing

Euskadiko Orkestra Sinfonikoak

arrakasta handia izan du Hego

Amerikan egin dituen joaldietan.

Munduko antzoki garrantzitsue-

netako batzuetan jaso duen txalo

zaparradak mugak zabaldu dizkio

musika talde gazte honi.

Warm welcomeThe orchestra's performances inSouth America were followedwith great interest by the Basquecommunities residing inArgentina and Chile, who gavethem a warm welcome. On someoccasions, they went to theairport to greet them. Themembers of the orchestra alsovisited the Euskal Etxeak in eachcity where they performed. ● The Secretary of Culture, Mari Carmen Garmendia,

and Vice-Secretary Imanol Agote accompanied theorchestra in Santiago, Chile.

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in a Colón that sold out its 3,500seats. The Basque orchestra set anextremely high standard in the firstof a series of concerts organized bythe Wagner Association, just a weekbefore the Berlin Philharmonicperformed on the same stage. The'cathedral' of the music worldsurrendered to the brilliant executionby the Basque orchestra, whichoffered a magnificent performanceand was awarded by warm applausefrom a truly surprised audience. Theypassed the test with flying colors,with all sections working with theconfidence, skill and expressivenessof a great orchestra.

This success increased theOSE's morale even more, if such athing was possible. They dove intotheir last two concerts in Argentinawith renewed excitement, withresounding successes in BahíaBlanca and San Juan.

The tour ended in Chile, with aperformance at the MunicipalTheater in Santiago. Once again, theEuskadi Symphony Orchestra was agreat success, receiving lavish praisefrom the city's specialized critics. Theexpedition had come to an end.Behind them were 13 days ofintense work, six performances, sixhotels, five theaters and oneauditorium, two countries, thepassage of the Andes, 10,000spectators, warm applause andstanding ovations. Their triumph

orchestra to achieve great success.Its first performance was at the SanMartín Theater in Córdoba. Thetheater was completely packed forthe orchestra's first performance inSouth America. The concert lastedover two hours and concluded witha strong ovation, with the entireaudience on its feet.

The next day, the orchestra'ssuccess was confirmed in Rosario, atthe Astengo Foundation Theater,where the orchestra offered itsperformance during the MozarteumArgentino festival, one of the mostprestigious in the country. However,this was just an appetizer what wasto be the main course for the tour:

the concert at the Colón Theater inBuenos Aires, one of the five bestauditoriums in the world, a majorrite of passage for any performer.

The Colón at the OSE's feet

The performance in BuenosAires was historic and memorable.The orchestra will never forget thewelcome it received from the ever-demanding Buenos Aires audience

brought them offers to return toSouth America, after the successfultransatlantic baptism of the Basqueorchestra. The tour had beenplanned as a way to familiarizeaudiences with the orchestra andthe works of Basque composers. Inaddition to meeting both objectives,the orchestra won the favor ofaudiences and critics alike andopened up a new market. ■

The Chilean and Argentinean media praised the orchestra's performancesin these countries. Headlines such as "An amazing evening" and"Exemplary renditions" were followed by extensive articles:"The audience applauded warmly and the orchestra left us surprised andhopeful that, even in the midst of globalization, even the smallest regionscan bring forth good results with their own identity" (La Prensa, BuenosAires)."The Euskadi Symphonic Orchestra is a true precision mechanism, with anotably balanced sound, adjusted to breathe like an organism before anyrhythmic alternative" (La Nación, Buenos Aires)."The adjustment, the skilled tuning, and the expressiveness shown by thisgroup from the Basque Country can only be found in a musicalorganization with a highly qualified quality of sound" (La Nueva Provincia,Bahía Blanca). ●

On April 20, 2002, the EuskadiSymphony Orchestra “(OSE)“will celebrate its twentiethanniversary with several tours.The Barcelona Auditorium andthe National Auditorium inMadrid will be the stageschosen at the national level. Itsmost important performanceswill take place in August,when it will participate in twoprestigious classical musicfestivals, the Tibor Varga inSion (Switzerland) and theSchleswig Holstein (Germany),where it will travel with itsdirector, Gilbert Varga. In 2001, the OSE will parti-cipate in the two-week musicfestival in San Sebastián andthe ABAO in Bilbao, and willcontinue recording its collec-tion of music by Basquecomposers. ●

Unbeatable reviews

Switzerland andGermany

Euskadiko Orkestra SinfonikoakEuskadiko Orkestra Sinfonikoakinoiz ez bezalako arinoiz ez bezalako arrakasta izanrakasta izan

zuen eta merkatu berzuen eta merkatu berria irria irekiekizuen Hego Amerikan.zuen Hego Amerikan.

Errepor taiak A R T I C L E S

22

BASQU E CYC LISTS REAC H TH E G REATEST H E IG HTSFrantziako Tourrak gonbitea egin dio Euskal-tel Euskadi taldeari munduko etapa laster-keta garrantzitsuenean parte har dezan; etahorrela euskal txirrindularitza nazioartekotropelaren gailurrera igo da. Mailarik altue-nean lehiatzeko talde bat izatea aspaldikoametsa da, duela zortzi urte Euskadi Funda-zioa sortu zenean hasi zena. Ordutik honaegindako lanak eta erabilitako ilusioak ustebaino sari handiagoa jaso du; alegia, itzuligaliarraren irteeran egotea.

For the first time in the history of the Tour, ateam composed entirely of Basques will participatein the mythical French race. This has been theEuskaltel Euskadi team's reward for its phenomenalcareer, and has prompted it to register its nameamong the 22 First Division teams in the listprepared by the International Cycling Union. Thesesuccesses are the result of eight years of hard workby a group that started out with great hopes andfew resources, but, through its efforts, has managedto earn recognition from the entire internationalcycling community. The team's inclusion in the Tour

is also a reward for Basque cycling fans. This year,they will have yet another reason to turn out enmasse to watch the race during its passage throughthe Pyrenees.

Miguel Madariaga was the driving force behindthe initiative to create a team composed of Basquesin order to provide an outlet for the area of the worldwith the highest proportion of cyclists to inhabitants.The creation of the Euskadi Foundation, directed byMadariaga himself and subsidized through membercontributions, was the first step in a project that wasreinforced bysponsorship fromt h e t e l e p h o n yc o m p a n yE u s k a l t e l . T h i sentity, presidedover by formerLehendakari JoséAntonio Ardanza,has guaranteed sponsorship and contributed toproviding the team with a budget (around 600 millionpesetas this year) that allows it to compete with thevery best. This season, the Basque Government hasalso reached an agreement with the team to have itpromote Euskadi by including the words Pays Basqueon its luggage in races held abroad.

However, in the face of all this progress, the

TTourourrak Euskaltel gonbirak Euskaltel gonbi--datu du, Pantanirdatu du, Pantaniren Meren Mer--

catone eta Cipollinircatone eta CipollinirenenSaeco alde batera utzita.Saeco alde batera utzita.

David Etxebarria is EuskaltelEuskadi's favorite for theTour de France.

A R T I C L E S Errepor taiak

23

Euskaltel Euskadi teamremains true to itsphilosophy. It now hasmore resources and greaterrecognition, but continuesto fill its ranks with Basquecyclists. It banks on youngtalent, and is a focal pointfor the amateurs in thecommunity who would liketo make the jump toprofessional cycling. Alarge portion of its budgetis used to keep the risingstars who are tempted byother teams. This season,the remainder was used tobring David Etxebarria intoits ranks to lead the team.The presence of this cyclist from Abadiño, winner oftwo stages of the Tour with his previous team,ONCE, was undoubtedly yet another factorcontributing to Euskaltel Euskadi's inclusion in theTour.

If the arrival of the economic bonanza thanks toEuskaltel was important, the arrival of former cyclistJulián Gorospe as sports director was anotherturning point. Under his orders, the Basque team hascome of age, with accomplishments that would havebeen unthinkable eight years ago. Last year, theteam achieved nineteen victories, including triumphsin the overall finals of two races. This season, thegood results came quickly. The Euskaltel Euskaditeam already holds seven first place wins and onethird, won by David Etxebarria in the prestigiousLiège-Bastogne-Liège classic.

Another chapter in the team's history is now

beginning. As a first division team, it will participatein the World Cup, and will also be included in theTour de France starting July seventh in Dunkerque.Gorospe will call upon the team's 25 best men tosurpass themselves in the world's most importantrace. Participating along with David Etxebarria willbe Roberto Laiseka, winner of two stages in theVuelta a España; Haimar Zubeldia, winner of the lastEuskal Bizikleta; Iker Flores, who proved his worthlast year, receiving the Tour of the Future award; andAlberto López de Munain, an all-terrain cyclist whocould give us much to talk about during the Tour.

These are the reasons that led Jean MarieLeblanc, director of the Tour de France, to inviteEuskaltel Euskadi, to the detriment of great teamssuch as Pantani's Mercatone or Cipollini's Saeco. ■

Miguel Madariaga, Jose Antonio Ardanza and Julián Gorospe celebratewith a toast after finding out that their team will compete in the Tour.

The Basque team's work is paying off in the formof victories.

24

Errepor taiak A R T I C L E S

EUROPE SURRENDERS TO THEBEST DEPORTIVO ALAVÉS OF ALL TIMEEuskal taldeak 5 eta 4 galdu zuen UEFAren Kopako finaleanLiverpool ahalguztidunaren aurka, baina gasteiztarren adoreaketa joko onak kritika bikainak eragin ditu kontinentekokomunikabide guztietan. Alavés-a estatuko futbol talde onenenartean sartu da.

The Deportivo Alavés made agrand entrance into Europeansoccer history with its firstparticipation in a continentalcompetition. The Basque team wasjust one step away from beingawarded the UEFA Cup, the secondmost important tournament inEurope, which follows the systemof direct eliminatory matches. Theteam from Álava made it to thefinal, which was held in the Germancity of Dortmund on May 16th,after eliminating prestigious teamssuch as Germany's Kaiserslauternand Norway's Rosenborg, who areregulars in such matches.

In the final, after winning sixeliminatory matches, the Alavésfaced England's all-powerfulLiverpool team, whose history andbudget made it a clear favorite for

the precious UEFA Cup. Nobody,except the ever-faithful Alavés fans,expected to enjoy such anunforgettable final. The Basque

team, after a very nervous start,managed to score a 2-0, followedby a 3-2 and a 4-3, going intoovertime with a 4-4 tie. Their effortsshould have been more thansufficient to take the trophy back toEuskadi. However, a goal wasscored at their own goal line justtwo minutes from the penalties,putting an end to the dreams of ateam that had just paid an amazingtribute to offensive soccer.

We could ask no more fromthe Alavés or the game. With ninegoals, it went on record as the finalwith the greatest number of goalsin the history of the UEFA Cup. Thetears of the Basque players weredried by the recognition of theirfans, who gave them a warmwelcome in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Amongthe fans was the LehendakariIbarretxe, who had words of trueadmiration for the players, whogave their all during the 118minutes of the final.

The Plaza de la Virgen Blancain Vitoria was too small toaccommodate the nearly 20,000people who went to celebrate theirteam's second-place victory at theEuropean Cup. ■

25

A R T I C L E S Errepor taiak

Bizkaiko hiriburuan SITEuropako II Batzarra izangoda ekainean. Batzar horretantamaina erdiko hirietako ga-rraio arazoak aztertu etaeztabaidatuko dituzte.

From July 20th to 23rd, theBiscayan capital will host theSecond European SIT Conference(SIT = Intelligent TransportationSystems), called IT’S in Europe -Bilbao 2001. This conference willexamine the prospects for mid-sized cities and solutions to theirtransportation and mobilityproblems. Specialized sessionswith a small number ofparticipants will be held topromote active participation,which will include municipalauthorities, service providers,operators and customer

representatives.

In addition to these sessions,there will be visits to see the latesttechnical innovations intransportation in Bilbao, and anexhibition showing the mostpromising, state-of-the-artapplications offered by serviceproviders. Naturally, it will also bepossible to see the sights ofEuskadi.

SITs make it possible tobenefit from services such as quickdetermination of the best way toreach a destination, avoidingannoying traffic problems, andtime-saving automatic paymentsfor transportation and parking.

During the conference, it willbe possible to see Biscay'sintelligent transportation systemsin action, such as the moderncontrol centers for metropolitantraffic and Metro Bilbao, EuskoTren's Intermodal Station and theprovincial capital's trolley project.Also included will be RENFE andFEVE's railroad installations, thenew terminal at the Bilbao airportand the traffic control center at theOuter Harbor.

For more information, pleaseconsult the web page that hasbeen put at the disposal of anyoneinterested in the SIT conference,www.bilbao2001.itscongress.org,where you can also register toparticipate in the different sessionsor sign up for the activitiesorganized for this important event,which will take place in the main

economic and financial center ofEuskal Herria. ■

Intelligent transportation systems analyzed at a conference in Bilbao

BiltzarBiltzarrrean Bilboko garean Bilboko garraioraiobideak nola dabiltzanbideak nola dabiltzanikusteko aukera izango da.ikusteko aukera izango da.

26

Euskal Etxeak B A S Q U E C E N T E R S

E U S K AD I LE F T I TS MAR K O N MAR D E L P L ATA

Argentinako hiriaren irudi pintoreskoan, euskal arkitekturaren eragin nabarmena izan duten hainbat etxe

José María Azarloza Argentinarra joanda-

ko euskaldun baten semea da, Mar del

Platan jaiotakoa. José Maríak euskal arki-

tekturak bere jaioterriko zenbait etxee-

tan izan duen eragina aztertu du. Euskal

baserri klasikoaren arabera Mar del Pla-

tan egindako hainbat etxe jaso ditu

inbentario batetan. Irudiotan ikusten

denez, ez dago zalantzarik.

Mar del Plata is a picturesque city in Argentinawhere numerous immigrant groups from differentcountries live together. As such, the city has adoptedsome of the identifying features of the people livingthere, who have all contributed to enriching the area'scosmopolitan flavor.

The local architecture has also been influenced bythis phenomenon. Some immigrants, perhaps to helpthem feel closer to their birthplaces, built homes in theirnew country by adapting the structures to the typicalarchitectural lines of their homelands.

Name: Chalet Peralta Ramos Date of construction: 1930 Location: Alem 2886 andCastelli Surface area of the lot: 1,874.89 m2 Covered surface area: 311.04 m2 Originalowner: Jacinto Peralta Ramos Project: Antón Gutiérrez and Urquijo Construction:Paulino and Máximo Gutiérrez.

Today, while wandering thestreets of the city, one can still comeacross extraordinary constructions thatwere partially or completely influencedby Basque architecture. Unfortunately,some of these buildings, most of whichwere built in the 30's and 40's, havebeen demolished, but severalmagnificent examples still remain.

José Martín Azarloza, a resident ofMar del Plata whose father emigratedto Argentina from the Biscayan town ofAmorebieta, has researched thesehomes, some of which werephotographed and appear on thesepages. He stresses that the differentprofessionals who participated in some of theseconstructions (architects, engineers, builders,draftsmen and planners) have made a name forthemselves in the history of the city due to theimportant projects they completed.

Azarloza visited each of these homes andtalked to the owners of those that are stillstanding in order to complete his study, whichwas published in the Basque Week magazine atthe Basque Center in Mar del Plata. Part of italso appears on these pages of ‘Euskal Etxeak’. ■

27

B A S Q U E C E N T E R S Euskal Etxeak

Name:Villa Leonor Date of construction:1937 Location:Paunero 2456, corner of Falucho and GascónSurface area of the lot:330.46 m2

Covered surface area:241.56 m2

Original owner:Evaristo Jaime Construction:Armando Spelanzón

Name: Dr. Santiago Baqué's chalet Date of construction: 1930 Location: A. del Valle 2821 and Garay 120 Surface area of the lot: 918.69 m2

Covered surface area: Left: 181 m2 Right: 191 m2

Original owner: Left: Santiago Baqué; Right:Felipe Gottheil de Luca Project: J. E. Birabén and E. D. Lacalle Alonso Construction: Paulino and Máximo Gutiérrez

Name: Chalet Maitagarri Date of construction: 1930 Location: Alberti 102 y A. del Valle Surface area of the lot: 468.72 m2

Covered surface area: 206 m2

Owner: Brenda Bassi Project: Alula Badassarini Construction: Alula Badassarini

Euskal Etxeak B A S Q U E C E N T E R S

When asked to describe her art, the sculptorAratxu Giménez wonders if it is possible to explainbecause it was born from a forest or a mountain.This Venezuelan of Basque origin interprets cultureas a chain, which springs from nature andcontinues with legends and art. For this reason,she chooses the forest (wood) and mountains(stone) as the raw materials for her creations,which take shape to finally become a narrativeand a tribute to her roots. In this manner, shehumbly returns to the quarry, the cabinetmaker'sworkshop, the craftsmanship of the jai-alai basket,to symbols and ancestors and Basquemythological beings, to whom she offers hersculptures in a natural setting, on the earth andunder the sky.

One of her works is Izen Sakratua (the sacredname), which was already exhibited at thecollective exhibition entitled ‘Aztarnak’(Footprints), at the Laurak Bat Basque-Navarrese

BASQUE TRADITIONSTRANSFORMED INTO ARTAratxu Giménezek natura erabiltzen du lehengai-tzat egurrezko eta harrizko sortze lanak egiteko.Lan orien bitartez, bere jatorria bilatzen du, artisauolerki batean euskal herriaren kultura, tradizioa etaohiturak goretsiz.

Center in Valencia. This creation is based on theMaldan Behera, by the Basque poet Gabriel Aresti.Its size, 220 centimeters (roughly seven feet)makes it look like a growing tree.

Most of the works by Aratxu Giménez arerelated to Basque mythology, legends andtradition. Thus, Bizidun is composed of twograpevine roots, with the four elements arrangedaround them, represented by handcrafted objectsdancing counter-clockwise like an improvisedlauburu.

In addition to popular legends, one of whichinspired her to create Biziak (in alabaster stone),the sculptor now focuses her work on symbols. Inthis new stage, many of her creations are basedon the ancient Basque numerical system. ■

S U B S C R I P T I O N S L I PAnyone interested in receiving Euskal Etxeak Magazine free of charge, or who has noticed anyerrors in their address information, may fill out this slip and send it to us at the following address:

Secretaría General de Acción ExteriorC/ Navarra, 2 - 01007 VITORIA-GASTEIZ - PAÍS VASCOA-Aguirre@ej-gv.es

First and Last Names: ..................................................................................................................

Street Address: ........................................................City: ............................................................

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29

B A S Q U E C E N T E R S Euskal Etxeak

Biscay, Araba, Gipuzkoa etaEuskadiko selekzioekin lehiatukoda ekainean txapelketa batean.

At the initiative of the Euskal EtxeaZazpirak Bat in Rosario, Argentina, thewomen's volleyball team from thisBasque Center will visit Euskadi in June toparticipate in a four-way tournamentwith teams representing the provinces of Álava,Biscay and Gipuzkoa. This competition, which will beheld June 15th to 17th in each of the three provinces,was organized by the Basque Volleyball Federation,which has also scheduled an exhibition gamebetween a Basque team representing all threeprovinces and the players from Argentina.

Zazpirak Bat managed to obtain institutionalsupport from the Municipal Government of Rosarioin order to make this trip, which will contribute to

uniting the two nations and creating sport andcultural links between Euskadi and Rosario.

The Rosario expedition will arrive in the BasqueCountry on June 14, and begin competing againstthe Álava team one day later. On June 16th, it willplay against Biscay, and will complete the four-waytournament the next day with its game against theGipuzkoan team. Later, it will end its visit with amatch against a team representing the threeprovinces of Euskadi. ●

The women's volleyball team from the BasqueCenter in Rosario will tour Euskadi

The American town will reinaugurate its jai-alai courts

Mountain Home prepares to celebrate the Basqueelement of its population in August

After the successful NABO Annual Conventionheld in Los Banos, California, May 25th, 26th and27th, which brings together more than thirtyBasque entities in the U.S., the Basque communitywill be meeting this summer in Mountain Home,Idaho. A series of activities and events have beenscheduled for August 25th to commemorate theBasque element of the town and of Elmore County,of which it is the county seat.

The events include a meeting ofrepresentatives of Basque clubs and entities from allover the country, a festival, and sports and culturalcompetitions and performances. The local jai-alaicourts will also be reinaugurated followingrestoration. The courts were built in 1911 by Basqueimmigrants who settled in this county, located onehour east of Boise.

For the members of the local ‘Euskal Lagunak-Elmore County Basque Association’, this event hasspecial meaning. It acknowledges their hard worksince the association was founded five years ago."We started the club with the idea of caring for,preserving and ensuring the continuity of theBasques' rich historical contribution to thedevelopment and identity of this county", explainsJo Anchustegui, native of Mountain Home and

secretary of ‘Euskal Lagunak’.The town does indeed boast a rich history with

strong Basque influences, which now belongs toeveryone. One of the most intense, and possiblymost emotional, moments will be thereinauguration of the jai-alai courts that PedroAnchustegui built next to the Basque hotel of whichhe was the proprietor. The courts, now registered asa historical monument, are located one block awayfrom another unique structure, the BengoecheaBuilding, erected in 1913 by another Basqueimmigrant, José Bengoechea. ●

Euskal Etxeak B A S Q U E C E N T E R S

YOU CAN NOW RECEIVE NEWS FROM EUSKADI BY E-MAIL

A newsletterprepared by theBasqueGovernment'sSecretary Generalfor Foreign Action

Issue 0

This information comprises the first issue of thevirtual 'Euskal Etxeak' magazine, which has beencreated to keep a large number of peopleinformed of the news occurring in the differentsocial, economic and cultural spheres in Euskadi.This newsletter, prepared by the BasqueGovernment's Secretary General for ForeignAction, is intended to take advantage of theopportunities offered by newtechnologies to provideinformation on everyday life in thisland to those who are now faraway, whether they be Basques,descendents of Basques, or peoplewith no ties to our nation.Your e-mail address is one of themany that will receive this firstissue, though we hope to contacta much greater number ofsubscribers very soon.The information is absolutely free and will besent once a week by e-mail. However, far frombeing a mere recipient of news, you are an activeparticipant in this project, as we would like for

you to actively collaborate by sending any ideasand suggestions you may have regarding thismagazine. We would like for our product toincreasingly satisfy the needs of all our readers.You can therefore count on euskaletxeak@ej-gv.es, where you can also send the e-mailaddresses of any friends or cultural, social orpolitical centers in your community who would

like to receive the magazine. Wewould also appreciate it if you wouldlet us know whether the informationhas arrived correctly.We hope this initiative will provide uswith the opportunity to establishbonds with those who love this land,and to share the enterprising,welcoming spirit of our nation withthose who are just getting to knowEuskadi through this newsletter.

Your address isone of the manythat have receivedthis first issue

The virtual ‘Euskal Etxeak’ magazine is born

A couple of weeks ago, the BasqueGovernment's Secretary General for ForeignAction implemented a new initiative to providenews from Euskadi to those living in othercountries who need up-to-date information on thelatest issues in the Basque Country. This newproduct is a supplement to the magazine you arenow holding, and is also entitled ‘Euskal Etxeak’.However, the novelty is that the new magazine willbe sent to your home once a week. That way, youwon't miss the most important element ofcommunication: the immediacy of theinformation.

The mechanics of sending and receiving thenew magazine are as simple as having a computerwith Internet access and e-mail, which will be usedweekly to send you four pages containing themost important news from Euskal Herria. Inaddition to economic, cultural, political, social, andother news, the magazine will include somepermanent sections, such as recipes, a practicalBasque dictionary and different curiosities.

Also, because the reader is the star of thisnewsletter, we would be delighted to receive anysuggestions or issues that you consider important,

in order to include them in the publication.The virtual ‘Euskal Etxeak’ is intended to reach

a large number of subscribers. If you are interestedor want your friends, the cultural or politicalassociations in your town, etc., to receive thisnewsletter, please e-mail us at the following address:

euskaletxeak@ej-gv.es

30

Euskal Telebista has launched a new advertising campaign on itsdifferent TV channels with a commercial filmed in the Amazon jungle,on the slopes of the Andes.

Those responsible for filming the commercial needed twelve daysto get the necessary images to put together an original and extremelybeautiful promotional ad. Filming took place during the rainy season inthe jungles of Amboró National Park in Bolivia. The heroes of thecommercial are a group of ‘Ayorero’ Indians, a tribe now in danger ofextinction, which lives in the suburbs of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, themost important city in the area where the ad was filmed.

The images show the ‘Ayorero’ hunting in the Amazon jungle,surrounded by a magnificently beautiful virgin landscape which bringshome the point of this ad: with the resources available to EITB, it cannow reach even the most remote places on earth. ■

EITB RECORDS A TV COMMERCIAL IN BOLIVIA

The company Chou Gyorui will mar-ket Basque fish in Japan

The Federations of Fishermen's Unionsof Biscay and Gipuzkoa have reached anagreement with the Japanese companyChou Gyorui, which will market inJapan part of the tuna caught by theBasque fleet. The agreement, whichwas sponsored by the Basquegovernment, will produce revenues ofover 24 million euros in two years. Thistype of fish is highly prized in Japan, oneof the most important markets in theworld. ●

Nine Basque iron and steel plantsunite to help the environment

Nine Basque iron and steel companieshave created a group called AgrupaciónAcero y Medio Ambiente (Steel andEnvironment Group), which will jointlystudy and manage any environment-related innovations in this industrialsector.

These companies produce almost sixmillion tons of steel and relatedproducts annually in their twelveindustrial plants, and recycle more thanseven million tons of scrap metal during

the same time period.

The group is composed of Acería deÁlava, Acería Compacta de Bizkaia,Aceralia Perfiles Bergara, AceraliaPerfiles Olaberria, Aceralia RedondosAzpeitia, Aceralia Redondos Zumarraga,GSB Acero, Disenor and TubosReunidos. ●

SPRI celebrates twenty years ofsuccess

The Society for the Promotion andIndustrial Reconversion of the BasqueCountry just celebrated twenty years ofsuccess. By 1999, the SPRI, whichanswers to the Basque Government'sDepartment of Industry, Commerce andTourism, had generated 361 billionpesetas (1.923 billion dollars) inbusiness investments through itssupport programs. The implementationof these measures to promote industrialdevelopment made it possible to create14,659 jobs during this period.

This volume refers to the balance sheetsoffered by the Garapen and Ekimeninvestment support programs. Today, anew initiative called Gauzatu isunderway, with which the Departmentof Industry hopes to generate 25 billionpesetas in investments and 1,000 newjobs this year. ●

A Basque gallery participates in theChicago Art Fair

For the first time, the prestigiousChicago Contemporary Art Fair featureda Basque art gallery. It was attended bythe Atxerri gallery, which managed totake some of the most important worksfrom its collection to the most famousfair in the Americas.

This gallery from San Sebastiánattended Art Chicago with creations bythe artists Xabier Laka, Jaume Plensa,Antonio Murado and Don Herbert. Thisfair is mostly attended by privatecollectors and museums from all overthe world. ●

Iberdrola announces an investmentplan worth 1.5 trillion pesetas

Shortly after the failure of its mergerwith Endesa, the Basque electriccompany Iberdrola has decided tocontinue expanding on its own, and hasannounced an investment plan worthalmost 1.5 trillion pesetas. With thiscapital, the company is especiallyinterested in consolidating its presenceon the Spanish and South Americanmarkets, not only in the electrical sector,but also in gas, water, renewable energysources and new technologies.

Iberdrola has considered a plan toreduce costs, which would allow it toincrease its annual profits and, marketpermitting, get rid of its shares in the oilcompanies Repsol-YPF and EDP, as wellas Telefónica, Telefónica Móviles andCementos Portland. The value of itsshares in these companies has beenstated by Iberdrola as 283 billionpesetas, which it plans to use to coverpart of the investments planned. ●

The Bilbao Trade Fair received arecord number of visitors last year

The year 2000 was the best in the historyof the Bilbao Trade Fair. During that time,it broke records for attendance (88,869professional visitors), exhibitors (morethan 3,000), revenue (3.677 billionpesetas) and profits (263 millionpesetas), as a result of the 32professional contests offered.

The Fair, which is now developing anambitious plan to expand, beat theresults obtained in 1998 by 11% (as a re-sult of biannual exhibitions, data is com-pared between odd or even years). ●

N E W S B R I E F S Laburrak

This spring, the eleventh annual Korrika, the Basque Public School festival,Herri Urrats and Ibilaldia have again served as the main vehicles fordemanding the standardization of the usage of Euskera and the utilizationof an educational system in accordance with the identifying characteristicsof the Basque people. Once again, the first of these events was a completesuccess. The Korrika is a race lasting eleven days, crossing more than 300towns, with thousands of participants covering a total of 2,343 kilometers(1,405 miles), braving cold and rain to demand their right to receive, useand transmit one of their nation's most important values: its language.Members of Basque Centers from as far away as Uruguay and Argentinaparticipated in the Korrika.

This year, the tenth annual Basque Public School festival was held in Bilbao,where approximately 70,000 people enjoyed different cultural events, suchas theater and music, while demanding a ‘quality, pluralistic and euskalduneducation’.