The Municipality of Ushuaia, through the enactment of a City Council Ordinance, has officially designated November 25th of each year as "Malvinas War Veterans Day." This date recognizes the courageous participation of Argentine women in the 1982 South Atlantic Conflict, with special emphasis on the figure of Mariana Florinda Soneira, a veteran from Tierra del Fuego.

The ordinance (6548/25), passed unanimously on November 6 and promulgated by decree (1954/25), establishes a date of profound significance for the Malvinas Cause in the capital of Tierra del Fuego.

Recognition of a Fuegian Heroine

Mariana Soneira , who at 19 years old served as a radio operator aboard the ARA Bahía San Blas Naval Transport ship, is recognized as the only woman from Tierra del Fuego present in the theater of operations. Her decision to remain on board after April 2, 1982, to serve her country has been highlighted as an act of unwavering commitment.

"With this recognition we reaffirm their role as heroines and we commit to keeping their memory alive for future generations," said Omar Becerra, Secretary of Parliamentary Relations and Political Articulation of the Municipality, during the first commemoration.

The importance of the recognition of Soneira extends beyond this ordinance: in 2023, she received her National Identity Document (DNI) with the legend "ex-combatant, heroine of the Malvinas War" .

Last Tuesday, November 25, the first official commemoration of Veterans Day was held in the emblematic Plaza Islas Malvinas in Ushuaia, with the presence of Mariana Soneira , municipal authorities and members of the Ex-Combatants Center.

Dante Asili, Secretary of Malvinas Affairs for the Municipality, emphasized the city's role in expanding these initiatives: "It is very important for Ushuaia to have instituted Malvinas Veterans Day by ordinance, since regulations like this have always spread from the capital of the Malvinas to the entire country ."

The official expressed his hope that "the rest of the cities in Argentina that have female veterans will do the same and honor them," thus promoting a federal recognition for all the women who served the Nation during the conflict.

The Legacy of the Veterans

The testimony of Soneira, one of the few women who were in the theater of operations, illuminates a story that for a long time remained silent due to the absence of women in the armed forces at that time.

"When society began to learn about this part of history and heard our testimonies, they simply embraced us. That's how I felt," recounted the War Veteran, who had already been recognized by the Argentine Navy in 1983 and the National Congress in 1990, as had her male colleagues.

The institutionalization of this day in Ushuaia not only honors the memory, but also serves to ensure that new generations know and value the courage, professionalism and love for the homeland that the women demonstrated in 1982.