“2025, the Year of Castelao”: Where is the overseas Galicia?

Buenos Aires, the capital city of the ideal Galicia, the guardian of Alfonso Daniel Manuel Rodríguez Castelao’s legacy, welcomed 2025 with joy, basking in the triumph achieved through collective celebrations fueled by love. It was a resounding success, marked by three celebrations and a new challenge.

Xaneiro 31, 2025

Liñas de investigación Diáspora Observatory Paradiplomacy

Apartados xeográficos Foreign action of Galicia

Palabras chave Castelao Castelao Year

Sabajanes, Paula

Xornalista galega nacida en Bos Aires. Licenciada en Ciencias da Información na Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC). Especializada en Comunicación Institucional e de Crise. Realizou cursos posgrao en Comunicación e Xénero na Universidade de Bos Aires (UBA). Traballou no…

On December 6, 2024, under the star at the entrance of the Centro Gallego de Buenos Aires, a group of women and men gathered with overwhelming emotion to celebrate a momentous achievement: the recognition of Castelao as Galicia’s first president. This heartfelt and symbolic homage was steeped in the emotions of a historic victory.

This initiative, spearheaded by the Galeguista Party and supported by emigrant groups from Buenos Aires and Montevideo¹, received the approval of the regional Parliament on the 80th anniversary of the Council of Galicia’s constitution and on the cusp of the 75th anniversary of Castelao’s passing. This recognition places this extraordinary national figure in the rightful place he deserves, and it is hoped that it will help to spread and elevate the significance of the role that a universal Galicia undoubtedly holds in our history and our identity. This urgent need is further emphasized by the conspicuous absence of the project’s promoters at the official ceremony of the Galician Chamber.

The ceremony at the Centro Gallego was graced by the presence of esteemed figures, including Francisco López, the Secretary General of the Galeguista Party; Ramón Suárez, the President of the Centro Gallego of Buenos Aires; José María Vila Alén, the President of the Centro Galicia of Buenos Aires; Carlos Brandeiro, the Director of the Colexio Santiago Apóstolo; Carlos Ameijeiras, the Delegate for Argentina for the Galician Communities and President of the A.B.C. of Corcubión; Beatriz Lagoa, the President of the Centro Betanzos; and Arantxa Arritua, the Vice President of the Basque Federation of Argentina, representing the historical solidarity between Galicia, Euskadi, and Catalonia. The event also featured the premiere of a piece by singer Graciela Pereira, set to lyrics by the Argentine writer Victor Molinari, dedicated to the iconic figure of Castelao.

To Castelao

Alchemist of nights and days
Announcer of fables and dreams
Sententious lord of dreams
Artisan of crosses and nobility

Whipping master of irony
In his world both sad and joyful
Consuming his life like a log
Burning between justice and rebellion

Green laurel of thorns and tears
Poppy of faith without disillusionment
Of your country’s misadventures, sorrow.

Guide of the land and its hopes
Messenger of joy and praise
Captain of the star and its adventures.

The second celebration, held on January 7, marked the Centro Galego’s annual remembrance of the passage of the rianxeiro, this year commemorating the Year of Castelao. The event was graced by the presence of the new Spanish ambassador, Joaquín María de Aristegui Laborde, and the Delegate of the Xunta, Alejandro López Dobarro, elevating its institutional significance. It was a resounding success, embodying the most festive anniversary imaginable. Bagpipers from a dozen groups performed traditional melodies, inviting attendees to dance amidst the marble columns of the iconic house, a symbol of mutualism and a testament to the enduring spirit of “a corner of a universal Galicia.”

Amidst the festivities, the spirit of life prevailed, overcoming the shadows of death. This institution, despite facing the most severe crises, has summoned and united us. It deserves a future, for it celebrates the achievements of the people and their culture, overcoming every obstacle with unwavering commitment to its roots. This celebration serves as a testament to the unconditional love for one’s heritage, a love that endured even during the exile and emigration experienced by Castelao and his contemporaries, as masterfully described in Luis Seoane’s dedication to his book “Castelao as an Artist”:

“To Lorenzo Varela and Arturo Cuadrado, for all we shared in Buenos Aires, losing. For everything we envisioned for Galicia in Buenos Aires—writing, painting, loyalty, and loss. Alone.”

While our journey has not always been a success story, the vibrant pulse of this collective memory propels us towards a sense of triumph that permeates our hearts.”

The third celebration, held on January 11 at Castelao Square, further honored the memory of the “guieiro,” the leader, by inviting friends and strangers to gather around music and remembrance in the city’s center.

This Argentine Galicia celebrates its first president with joy and a sense of authority the geographical Galicia overlooks. These people and these groups cherish these crucial pieces of Galician history that exist overseas. I refuse to lose hope that one day they will also be recognized.

Inspired by Castelao’s “Sempre en Galiza,” I propose we ponder a question together, for this year of Castelao, 2025 and beyond: “Where and how does the Galicia of Buenos Aires fit into the narrative of the geographical Galicia?

Debate is served. I hope our exchanges contribute to writing a generous and adventurous chapter of our universal people.

Footnotes

• 1 Project’s promoters: Centro Gallego de Buenos Aires, Federación de Asociacións Galegas da República Arxentina, Centro Galicia de Buenos Aires, Patronato da Cultura Galega de Montevideo, Instituto Arxentino-Galego Santiago Apóstolo de Buenos Aires, Fundación Xeito Novo de Cultura Galega, ABC de Corcubión, Centro Betanzos de Buenos Aires, Fundación Galicia-América, Hogar Gallego para Ancianos de Domselaar, Centro Cultural da Estrada and Partido Galeguista.