Defense Minister Jorge Taiana stated that “The 44 compatriots of ARA San Juan will be forever present in the memory and in the heart of the Argentine people”and asked “truth and justice to clarify what happened”by leading a tribute to the crew members who died in the sinking of that submarine five years ago.
Taiana, together with the head of the Argentine Navy, Admiral Julio Horacio Guardia, participated in a religious ceremony in Mar del Plata and held a meeting with the relatives of the deceased victims in the waters of the South Atlantic in the shipwreck that occurred on November 15, 2017.
Five years after the last communication from the ARA San Juan submarine, we honor the memory of the 44 crew members and continue to demand truth and justice. As Minister of Defense, I renew my commitment to continue accompanying their families. #44Present pic.twitter.com/nhf0ZQZrai
— Jorge Taiana (@JorgeTaiana) November 15, 2022
The ceremony
In the act at the Mar del Plata Naval Base, the minister announced to the relatives of the crew members “the implementation of a study scholarship plan for the children of the deceased divers”Defense explained in a statement.
And he also anticipated that “work is being done together with the Ministry of Justice to create, through a presidential decree, a Special Unit to support the investigation of the sinking” of the submarine
“The 44 compatriots of ARA San Juan will be forever present in the memory and in the heart of the Argentine people,” said Taiana.
And he emphasized that “honoring the crew of the ARA San Juan is finding the truth and justice to clarify what happened.”
Upon entering the base, heRelatives and civil and military authorities placed flowers at the memorial that remembers the 44 crew members.
The religious office was in charge of the military bishop, Monsignor Santiago Olivera. Defense indicated that 270 relatives of the 44 dead sailors attended, who came from various parts of the country and met with Taiana before the event.
Other relatives included Elisa Ortega, wife of Hugo Herrera, and Yolanda Mendiola, mother of Leandro Fabián Cisneros, both from Jujuy; Rafael Enríquez, brother of Víctor Enríquez, from Salta; Susana Coria, mother of Fabricio Alcaraz Coria, from San Luis, and Daniela Leiva, sister of Luis Leiva, from González Catán (La Matanza, Buenos Aires).
In addition, each family was given a red rose and all relatives carried Argentine flags with the names of the deceased.
“The 44 compatriots of ARA San Juan will be forever present in the memory and in the heart of the Argentine people”
The ceremony was also attended by the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Defense, Héctor Mazzei, and the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Juan Martín Paleo.
The disappearance of the submarine
The ARA San Juan disappeared on the morning of November 15, 2017 (when its last communication was recorded), while patrolling Atlantic waters from the Ushuaia Naval Base to its usual posting at the Mar del Plata Naval Base.
It was found sunk a year lateron November 17, 2018, at the height of Golfo San Jorge, 597 kilometers from Comodoro Rivadavia.
the tributes
President Alberto Fernández said on his Twitter account: “Five years after the sinking of the ARA San Juan, my eternal gratitude to the crew for their courage and commitment to the Homeland.” And he posted an image with the names of the 44 divers.
5 years after the sinking of the #ARASanJuanmy eternal gratitude to the crew members for their courage and commitment to the homeland ??
We do not forget and we will not rest until the truth is known and justice is served. A huge hug to your family. #44Present pic.twitter.com/pApqVNxGqu
– Alberto Fernandez (@alferdez) November 15, 2022
The president, from Bali, Indonesia, where he is participating in the G-20 Summit, asserted: “We do not forget and we will not rest until the truth is known and justice is done” and sent “a huge hug to his relatives.”
The Minister of the Interior, Eduardo “Wado” de Pedro, wrote on Twitter: “5 years after the last contact of the ARA San Juan, we pay tribute to the crew of 44 heroes who gave their lives in service to the Homeland. We continue to ask for justice.” .
The comptroller of the Federal Intelligence Agency (AFI), Agustín Rossi, maintained that “we remember and honor the crew of the ARA San Juan submarine.”
“After 5 years, we reaffirm our commitment to truth and justice. A big hug and accompaniment on this day to your families, friends and comrades”he stressed.
The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Cecilia Moreau, stressed that “as every November 15, we remember and honor the memory of the 44 crew members of the ARA San Juan.”
“Glory, memory, honor and justice for our heroes. I accompany their relatives and loved ones,” he said in the same network.
There were also tributes in various provinces, such as Tierra del Fuego, where the Government remembered the divers with an act in the city of Ushuaia, the base of the last port from which the Argentine Navy vessel sailed.
The ceremony was held at a monument on Prefectura Naval avenue and Yaganes street, on the coast of the Beagle Channel and meters from the “Augusto Laserre” military dock, where the submarine was docked before its final trip.
The nine Jujuy crew members of the ARA San Juan were remembered in that province with a ceremony in the town of Aguas Calientes and a commemorative mural in the Alto Comedero neighborhood of the district capital.
#44Present | At the Mar del Plata Naval Base, a heartfelt tribute was paid to the crew of the ARA San Juan submarine, with the participation of their relatives, the Minister @JorgeTaiana and the head of the @Armada_Arg, alte. Julio Guardia.
? https://t.co/1EQr2w6ySN pic.twitter.com/57Hk8f57ma
– Ministry of Defense (@MindefArg) November 15, 2022
The initiative was accompanied by the relatives of the deceased, who expressed the need to keep the memory of the victims alive and demanded “a serious investigation so that Justice is done” and “those responsible are convicted.”
Taiana accompanied the relatives of the ARA San Juan 5 years after the sinking of the submarine
Relatives and relatives of the crew members of the ARA San Juan participated in a religious service, five years after the sinking of the submarine, together with the Minister of Defense, Jorge Taiana, where they reinforced the request for justice and asked for the prosecution of former President Mauricio Macri.
The ceremony began after 6:00 p.m., in the Plaza de Armas of the Mar del Plata Naval Baseafter a meeting that the relatives of the victims had with Taiana.
The ceremony was conducted by Bishop Castrense Monsignor Santiago Oliverawith the presence of 270 relatives of the 44 dead sailors, who arrived from various parts of the country, according to the Defense Ministry.
Also, each family was given a red rose and all relatives carried Argentine flags with the names of the deceased.
After the mass, Yolanda Mendiolamother of Corporal Principal Leandro Fabián Cisneros, from Jujuy, assured in a dialogue with Telam that “five years after this long struggle we are waiting for what will happen.”
And he criticized the actions of Justice, since “when former President Mauricio Macri is prosecuted, he is released by his friends, the judges.”
In addition, he indicated that “the espionage of the Macrista government is more than proven” and asked that “they value us as mothers, with tears in their eyes and the Argentine flag on our backs, since we were branded as ‘a national danger’ by that government ”.
In this sense, the Jujuy woman assured that “we as a family have nothing to hide, we are only left with a message or a photo of that fatal trip that will remain forever in the memory of Argentina and the entire world.”
Mendiola also remembered his son “as someone who defended the colors of the country, a boy who with instilled values knew how to defend his country.”
“For this reason, more than ever, I ask that truth and justice arrive,” he asserted.
Regarding the message issued by Alberto Fernández from Bali, the mother of Corporal Principal stated that “I hope the President manages to impose justice and the end of this sad story is reached, because every day 15 we are full of pain and pride at the same time, honoring to our children and relatives who were victims of a fatal and sad tragedy”.
Meanwhile, Elisa Ortega de Jujuy, wife of First Petty Officer Hugo Herrera, told this agency that “it is a very emotional day, but we have the strength to move forward and that justice is finally done.”
“I hope that President Alberto Fernández, who asked today for justice to be done and the truth to be known, will help us to clarify once and for all this issue that we carry forever in our souls,” Ortega completed.
For his part, Rafael Enriquez de Salta, brother of crew member Víctor Enríquez, pointed out that “this is a lifelong scar and as a relative of one of these 44 heroes, I ask the current president to enact a law to make November 15 a national holiday in honor of all the crew members of the ARA San Juan”.
Regarding the acts of espionage suffered by former president Macri, Enriquez indicated that “his management left much to be desired, he lost a weapon of war and the country did not know what a submarine was. That is why I hope that justice will once and for all act in favor of the people, ”he said.
And he assured: “I remember my brother in his smile, his humility and willingness to help others.”
Later, susan coria from the province of San Luis, mother of Fabricio Alejandro Alcaraz Coria, pointed out: “I am still paralyzed like the first day when I found out about the sinking of the submarine and we can only hope that justice is done and what happened is known.”
“We, the relatives of the crew members, are very satisfied with Minister Taiana, who proposed granting scholarships for all educational levels, the creation of a research support unit, and the construction of a Navy monument in front of the submarine,” he emphasized.
Coria, with tears in her eyes and the Argentine flag in her hands, surrounded by a rosary, said: “We hope this government does justice, because today is a special day where I remember Fabricio with a smile, making jokes and accompanied by his friends, who were his faithful company as well as the whole family”.
For his part, Daniela Leiva de González Catán, sister of the chief petty officer Luis Marcelo Leiva, considered that “we have never had an answer about what happened, that is why I trust what Minister Taiana promised us and in the wishes of President Fernández that justice be done and that the truth as soon as possible.
When asked about how she remembers her brother, Daniela did not hesitate to express “with courage, pride and camaraderie”.
