The National Assembly for Wales’s Presiding Officer, Dame Rosemary Butler AM, has welcomed the Governor of Chubut to the Senedd.
Chubut is a province of Southern Argentina, in the Patagonia region. In 1865, 153 Welsh settlers arrived in Chubut, and 150 years later it remains by far the largest Welsh-speaking community outside of Wales.
The focus of the visit is on Wales in advance of next year’s milestone – the 150th anniversary of the journey made by the first Welsh settlers who arrived in Puerto Madryn on board the Mimosa
ship.
The Governor was accompanied by representatives from the Welsh-speaking areas of Trelew and Gaiman on his visit to Wales, which include a trip to the National Eisteddfod in Llanelli.
“The fact that we have a Welsh-speaking community on the other side of the world is always something that amazes me,” said Dame Rosemary.
“That we are about to celebrate the 150th anniversary of that community is even more exceptional.
“It was a pleasure to welcome the Governor of Chubut to Wales, and to the Senedd in particular, where we are fully committed to ensuring that the Welsh language has equal status with English as one of our official languages.
“The National Assembly recognises the importance of the milestone that the Welsh communities in Patagonia will celebrate next year and I have told the Governor that the National Assembly is keen to participate in those celebrations.”