Belgrano's Flag meets the Flags of Today

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I love Mendoza. I took the opportunity to visit the Argentine city in October of 2007, and it was one of the best South American experiences I have had. There is nothing quite like taking a long summer bike trip down its quaint streets, sipping the many wines that each local vineyard has to offer, not to mention the outrageous selection of outdoor adventures (I would personally recommend horseback riding through the Andes; it is incredible!). So it may seem weird that when given the opportunity to go a second time, I said no. Honestly, I wanted to go but was strapped for cash. Luckily, a less expensive prospect was presented; nearby town Rosario. Therefore, while my friends were dealing with possible bus strikes to Mendoza and fears of swine flu disputes, I was enjoying a four hour bus ride to Argentina’s third largest city.

It is interesting to compare our expectations of things before we encounter them with how we perceive those things once we have actually experienced them. Rosario is famous thanks to two things: its national monument known as El Monumento Nacional a la Bandera, and for being the birthplace of counterculture icon Che Guevara. Truthfully, my presumptions of Rosario leading up to my visit were of a frigid, unfriendly nature with an equally inhospitable people, which is primarily due to the fascist symbolism that Rosario’s monument represents. Inaugurated in 1957 to commemorate Manuel Belgrano, the creator of the national flag, its phallic appearance and immense size are classic traits of the fascist design that were popular during the time of President Juan Peron (Though he was ousted by a coup in 1955). When I arrived in Rosario, the monument indeed was one of the first things I noticed. But oh was it awesome! I didn’t expect the memorial to be so extraordinarily phenomenal. It is truly massive, and the statues that adorn it are equally as astonishing. Going back to the subject of expectation, one would expect that with a monument commemorated to the designer of the Argentine national flag and named as such (the word bandera means flag), that naturally there would be lots of flags throughout Rosario. Shockingly enough, I was right. There were national flags everywhere. What I didn’t expect to see, however, was the presence of the gay pride flag that was scattered throughout Rosario. The flag could be found on quite a number of buildings. A lesser known monument is located in an area of Rosario known as El Paseo de la Diversidad, where the walkway and pyramid shaped plaque observe the importance of "all gender identity and sexual orientation." The entire city, I found, was a leader of the Latin American community in the pursuit for freedom of sexual representation.

I expected repression, insensitivity and everything else representative of fascism, and what I found throughout the city was freedom of expression and a people bursting with culture and life. I had come to Rosario on a Sunday, and coincidentally it also was the day of celebration of the May independence. Surrounding the portentous statue was a grand party, complete with live bands, vendors, and cheerful families who had come to enjoy the sunny day together. I spent my time celebrating and hanging out with the people of Rosario along the Paraná River until a setting sun marked the time for my bus to depart back to the sleepless Buenos Aires lights. Though the experience was much different than my time spend in Mendoza, I am glad my lack of money fortuitously led me to the base of a past icon, celebrating the pursuit of future vision.

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