Twinning with Viedma is ratified in Cochabamba
Within the framework of the National Congress of Skål International Bolivia, the twinning between the Clubs of Cochabamba (Bolivia) and Viedma-Patagones (Argentina) took place.
This agreement, which was established between the cities and municipalities years ago, was signed by the Mayor of Viedma, Dr. Jorge Ferreira, and the local authorities of Cochabamba during their visit to this city.
On 23 April 2024, in the context of the Skål Latin American Congress held in Santa Fe, Argentina, the twinning between these international Institutions was formalised. During the meeting, the President of Skål International Cochabamba, José Rodríguez, welcomed Gustavo Malek, President of Skål International Viedma Patagones, and Julio Isidro Pérez, Past President of Skål International Viedma Patagones. Malek pointed out that the Consulate General of Bolivia is located in Viedma and acknowledged the important Bolivian resident community which participates in various local activities.
In addition, Malek recalled that on July 4, 1879, the city was renamed Viedma in honor of its founder. Since 2002, Viedma has borne the title of 'Historic Capital of Patagonia' for having been the capital of the Patagonian government between 1878 and 1882. In his speech, he also highlighted the tourist potential of the region, which includes attractions such as the San Blas Bay resort and El Condor, located 29 kilometers from Viedma, famous for being the first sea lion colony in Patagonia.
Malek highlighted the growth of religious tourism in Viedma since Pope Francis proclaimed Salesian nurse Artémides Zatti a saint, which has attracted a greater number of parishioners.
Proposed flights from Bolivia to Viedma and Bariloche
On his part, Julio Isidro Perez mentioned that BOA - Boliviana de Aviación (Bolivia Airlines)- has regular flights between Cochabamba and Santa Cruz de la Sierra, which connect with the international airport of Ezeiza in Argentina. During the meeting, Perez delivered a note to Jose Rodriguez, President of Skål International Cochabamba, requesting that the proposal to extend their flights to San Carlos de Bariloche be submitted to BOA authorities.
Pérez expressed that, just as other international airlines operate to Bariloche from different points in Latin America, BOA could facilitate the arrival of Bolivian tourists to the region of Río Negro and foster a greater exchange between both countries.
Finally, he suggested that, should this proposal be accepted, BOA consider a stopover in Viedma, which would strengthen the tourist, cultural and commercial link between the sister cities. Pérez presented messages of support for this initiative from the Mayor of Viedma, Dr. Marco Castro, as well as from the president of the Gastronomy and Hotel Association, Julio Pondal, the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, Martin Lemos, and the president of ENVITUR -Ente Viedma de Promoción Turística-, Sergio Rodríguez.