Puerto San Julián to be Main City of 2026 Peace Road Argentina
Puerto San Julián, Argentina – Every year, one Argentine city is selected as the main venue for the national Peace Road event, organized by UPF-Argentina. On September 18, the southern city of Puerto San Julián in Santa Cruz province – where the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition landed in 1520 – was introduced as the main venue for Argentina’s 2026 Peace Road, at a lively event in the Teatro Talía Cinema.
During the event, led by the municipality’s mayor Mr. Daniel Gardonio and representatives of cultural and educational centers, the theme for this year was announced: “We are United by Peace; We are Brought Together by One Path.” This was selected by the 2026 Peace Road Argentina Team, a group of peace ambassadors from different regions and representatives of provincial institutions, who gathered virtually to vote on the theme.
Prof. Laura María Luz Fracasso, president of Puerto San Julián’s City Council, welcomed participants, and declared 2026 Peace Road Argentina of municipal interest “for its noble purpose of bringing peoples and cultures together, transcending ethnicities, nationalities and religions.”
She added, “San Julián is strongly marked as a land of encounter and peace,” explaining that this city, which is over 2,000 kilometers from the capital of Buenos Aires, is where the first mass in the country was celebrated, and where Europeans met the Tehuelche natives, whom they called “Patagones,” meaning “big feet,” because their bulky footwear created large footprints.
After an introductory video of UPF’s global initiatives, Mr. Miguel Werner, president of UPF-Argentina, explained the Peace Road history in the country. This year is the twelfth event, and the seventh at the national level, with initiatives and activities in all 23 provinces, Buenos Aires city and Antarctica.
Malvinas veteran Mr. Gustavo Barranco shared a heartfelt message, reaffirming peace and emphasizing the rightful choice of Puerto San Julián as the main venue, due to its history and example of coexistence; a place where a plaza contains various flags, representing different peoples, as a symbol of fraternity.
“Peace is not only a word, but also a daily, collective and essential construct, because peace is a path we need to walk together,” said writer, teacher and poet Ms. Verónica Zinni, after being officially appointed as a patron of 2026 Peace Road, along with Ms. Josefa “Finita” Silva Castro, cultural promoter and honorary vice consul of Spain in Puerto San Julián; and swimmer Mr. Pablo Barbieri, multi-champion in various international competitions of cold water swimming.
During the event, students of the María Auxiliadora Institute performed the dance “Una Receta de Paz” (A Recipe for Peace), and teachers and students of the “Luis Villarreal” Municipal Cultural Center sang the 2026 Peace Road song.
The program included videos of milestones that contributed to Puerto San Julián becoming the main venue. UPF distributed Peace Road T-shirts and flags, followed by a group photograph with authorities and executives, including virtual participants, showing the banner with the Peace Road international theme: “Connecting the World through Peace.”
The day before, on September 17 – a surprisingly spring-like day in a usually cold and windy place – UPF delivered the Peace Road Trophy to the city during an outdoor event marking the town’s 125th anniversary, with the Santa Cruz governor, Mr. Claudio Vidal, in attendance.
Mr. Miguel Werner and his wife Ms. Alba Luz Tangarife, a member of UPF’s governing board, presented the trophy to municipal mayor Mr. Daniel Gardonio. Ms. Laura María Luz Fracasso passed the trophy to cold waters multi-champion Mr. Pablo Barbieri and writer Ms. Verónica Zinni, 2026 Peace Road’s “godparents,” to lead the parade, along with representatives of various institutions.
