Spain’s king, queen begin Argentina state visit with tribute to San Martin

Buenos Aires —  Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia began their first state visit to Argentina this Monday with a floral offering at the Buenos Aires monument to Gen. Jose de San Martin, the national hero from Rio de la Plata considered father of his country and one of the leading liberators of the Americas.

The monarchs, who arrived Sunday night in the South American country where they will stay until Wednesday, began their official agenda with a ceremony at the foot of the monument to the hero of Argentine independence, as do all heads of state and government who visit the capital.

Felipe and Letizia, who traveled to Argentina with a delegation that also includes Foreign Affairs Minister Josep Borrell, were accompanied at the tribute by Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie and Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta.

Also taking part in the ceremony in honor of San Martin, whose revolutionary battles were decisive not only for Argentina but also for the independence of Chile and Peru, was the band of the Gen. San Martin Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers playing anthems of Spain and Argentina.

The monument was created in 1862 by French sculptor Louis Joseph Daumas and was Argentina’s first equestrian statue.

Around 1910, German sculptor Gustav Eberlein designed the base of polished red granite upon which the statue of the general was mounted, as well as the four sculptural groups on the corners representing landmarks in the war of liberation from the Spanish throne.

After making the floral offering, the royals, escorted by a unit of the Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers, were taken to the Casa Rosada, seat of the Argentine government in Buenos Aires, where they were received by President Mauricio Macri and his wife, Juliana Awada.

There, after a welcome with honors by a military guard and the Alto Peru Brass Band, and by an official salute in the White Chamber, the heads of state had a private meeting in the president’s office, followed by a larger meeting that included political delegations from both countries.

During his meeting with Macri, King Felipe said Spain was fully in favor of the reforms being implemented in Argentina.

The Spanish monarch expressed his support when he and the queen were received at the Casa Rosada for their first meeting with the Argentine president and his wife during their state visit.

King Felipe said that Spain is very much aware of the economic situation Argentina has gone through and supports the reform programs that have been launched, while Macri, who was the first to speak, thanked the king and queen for their visit, which he interpreted as a sign of affection, and at the same time, of support for the “moment of change” in his country.

Macri said this “moment of change” meant “deep transformations that are very demanding and require great effort,” and recalled those imposed by Spain when necessary and whose positive results prove they were truly needed to achieve a better quality of life.

The king said that Spain has always supported Argentina “when times were difficult.”

“We’re very much aware of the economic situation Argentina has gone through and we support all the reform programs currently in effect,” the Spanish monarch said.

At the same time, Queen Letizia and Awada were to converse in the House of Government about the first stage of infancy and rare diseases.

Later, after the two couples had lunch at the presidential residence in the town of Olivos, north of the capital, the monarchs were scheduled to continue with their official activities - visits to the Argentine Congress and the Supreme Court of Justice - where they were to meet with the top authorities.

The first day will wrap up with a gala dinner offered by the Macris in honor of the royal couple at the Kirchner Cultural Center (CCK), where the king and queen will greet the individual guests, before Macri and Felipe VI say a few words during the toast.

On Tuesday the king will have a working breakfast with Argentine and Spanish business owners and executives and will give a speech at an event organized by the Cotec Foundation, dedicated to promoting innovation as an engine of economic and social development.

A conference with the Spanish community in Argentina, as well as a meeting of the queen with the Ibero-American Rare Diseases Alliance, will lead to the final activity of the state visit, a reception offered by the monarchs in honor of Macri and his wife at a downtown Buenos Aires hotel.

On Wednesday the royals will attend the inauguration of the 8th International Congress on the Spanish Language, to be held in the Argentine city of Cordoba until March 30.

The state visit is the first by a Spanish head of state to Argentina for almost 16 years, the last being that of King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia in November 2003.

It was the Argentine president himself who invited the royals to make the trip to Buenos Aires when he was on a visit to Spain in February 2017.

The last time Felipe was in Argentina was as prince of Asturias in September 2013, when he headed a delegation to the International Olympic Committee (I0C) meeting in Buenos Aires that tried to rescue Madrid’s rejected candidacy as the site of the 2020 Olympic Games.