Rivero highlighted the recovery of Rivera’s ranch in the Biopark: “this tribute is well worth it”
The leader of the Colorado Party of Cerro Largo, Dr. Rodrigo Rivero, valued the progress in the restoration of the symbolic ranch where General Fructuoso Rivera died, located in the Municipal Biopark of Melo. In dialogue with EL PROFESIONAL, Rivero stressed that the process is carried out with historical rigor, with the participation of technicians, communicators and researchers who seek to rescue the memory of the country’s first constitutional president.
Rivero recalled that for years there had been doubts about the exact location of the place:
“The historian Germán Gil assured in his conversations on each occasion that the ranch was closer to the meteorological station, or at least between the current location and the meteorological station. And this information that Manolo gives us, who is a knowledgeable historian of this matter, also goes in that direction.”
The leader explained that the property originally had several buildings, not a single ranch:
“According to the maps they talk about 25 meters from the stream to the weather station. What Manuel had there was a water hospital, the famous water hospital. So there… But that was not limited to just one ranch, it was probably several ranches. It was a larger restoration.”
For this reason, he clarified that it is not possible to determine exactly in which structure Rivera died:
“I couldn’t determine the physical location. What we have there today is a facsimile. Surely on that property, which must be several hectares, there would be several ranches. Which was the one where Rivera died? I wouldn’t know how to specify. The truth is that this is symbolic, a facsimile.”
A HISTORICAL AND MUSEOGRAPHIC PROJECT IN PROGRESS
Rivero reported that a communication team is working to provide the ranch with educational and heritage content:
“The idea is, inside, to create a whole photographic story, with radiation, with QR codes that come from outside. And all the elements that were… they told us that they were able to recover them. There are a couple of paintings that were in poor condition, they are being recovered. There is great work.”
He highlighted that this effort is being carried out with limited resources: “This is not minor, because they have millions of things to do with a very limited budget. And the will that not only these people put into it, but the construction people as well.”
RIVERO ACCOMPANIED PART OF THE RESTORATION PROCESS:
“We went there, I accompanied two days with the ten quinchas, their wall structure. The architect also told us that there are bricks there that are more than 150 years old. It means that there is a lot of things that, although it is not real, it is taking.”
For this reason, he celebrated that the enhancement is progressing:
“This tribute is well worth it. We gladly do it and are grateful.”
AN EFFORT THAT TRANSCENDS GAMES
The leader clarified that this work is not exclusive to the Colorado Party:
“I am perhaps the most visible face, but here there are people who are not from the party, there are people who are from the party, there are people who are fans of Rivera. We want to paint Rivera as what he is: a person who transcends parties. Just as Artigas is, as is Lavalleja, Oribe, Seregni… people who are beyond.”
