They want to build a giant virgin in Rivadavia and the conflict erupted: what is the problem?

This controversy was widely noted when Los Andes published the information and uploaded it to social media. There, the positions were varied and "spicy" in some cases regarding the project carried out by San Martin artist Daniel Jiménez, with a design by architect Marcelo Medina.

This newspaper consulted with some stakeholders in the Rivadavia community.

Regarding this, the president of the City Council and current official in charge of the Municipality, Luis García Llauró , stated that "I do not have, nor do we as an administration, a formed opinion. This is a project that has not been consulted with the Municipality and does not involve funding from the municipality, which has other priorities."

Furthermore, the mayor, Ricardo Mansur, who is replacing him on health leave, confirmed that the municipality should authorize and supervise this project, like any other civil engineering project, but stressed that "nothing has been received yet" by the Municipality.

Rivadavia's Secretary of Government, Lucio Gutiérrez, maintained that "my personal position is that of a believer and a Catholic. I am very happy with a project like this, which highlights the image of the Virgin and is aesthetically so well achieved," but he cautioned that there are other voices and a general belief that everything in public spaces should be secular, and I fully understand and respect that position.

The official warned that "we have not discussed this issue in the cabinet" and the municipality has not issued an official position.

Furthermore, returning to his personal position, the Secretary of State said that the work should be understood as "a work of art. If, instead of the Virgin, they erected a Buddha, I should appreciate the work in that way."

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Rivadavia, which was originally named San Isidro Labrador , is a region where faith has played an important role in social formation and still plays a transcendental role.

In addition to the Catholic Church, the Evangelical Church is particularly active in this department, and there are several pastors.

David Coronel, pastor and representative of the Rivadavia Pastors' Council , stated his position on the monument project, saying, "I don't believe a Virgin in the roundabout is representative of the majority of the department's citizens and it ignores our faith convictions."

He also recalled that "a few years ago, the city's pastors requested the erection of a monument to the Bible in the departmental plaza, based on the idea that it is the foundation of faith, not only for our community but for all Christian religions in Argentina, which represent more than 90% of the faith expressions in our country. This monument was funded by the evangelical community."

Regarding the image of the Virgin Mary in the rotunda, he said, "Evangelicals in Argentina make up approximately 20%, and like so many other Christians, we don't feel represented by this image . It would be different if it were, for example, Christ the Redeemer, which is a symbol that unites the Christian community in general, both Catholics and Evangelicals."

Roberto Garay, another pastor from Rivadavia , said that "regardless of who finances the project, it is a public space, and in my opinion, if it's something religious, it should represent all faiths . That would be inclusion, clarifying that I have friends of all beliefs."

José Gil, another local pastor , preferred to turn to the Bible and quoted: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you; and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

He then added, "I, as a pastor, believe in the word of God. And I believe that if we confess the word, we would be better off," and emphasized that "if instead of an image, we put words, I think we would be better off."

Meanwhile, Rivadavia pastor Orlando Cuellar also chose to quote a Bible verse to express his position. He said, "Exodus 20:4 is a commandment that prohibits images ," and added that "the Christian faith embraces the teaching and obedience of the Word of God, so an image does not represent me ."

Furthermore, regarding the monument, he estimated that " another type of symbol could be placed there. A flag, a water fountain, a bunch of grapes, a bucket of grapes... Things that identify the place and its people."

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Father Alberto Daniel Caballero , parish priest of San Isidro Labrador, better known as Father Dany in the community and on social media, as a leader of the Catholic community supports the construction of the monument to the Virgin Mother and has even launched a campaign to collect signatures in favor of the project.

In the statement justifying his request for support from the community, the priest said that "the work, almost nine meters high, has been designed with a sober and modern artistic language, but charged with profound symbolism: it represents our Mother with open arms, welcoming, protecting, and welcoming all who enter our land."

He also argued that the work "is much more than a sculpture: it is a gesture of love, identity, and faith , which seeks to uplift the spirit of our community and leave a clear message about who we are and what values ​​sustain us."

Finally, Father Dany maintained that “the figure of the Virgin Mother, beyond its religious dimension, represents profoundly human values: welcome, care, compassion, and protection. Her image, with open arms, can speak to both believers and non-believers, because it expresses a universal gesture of love and protection. This work, conceived as a symbol of welcome and humanity, transcends beliefs and invites us to recognize what unites us: the desire for peace, for encounter, and for belonging. Therefore, we believe that it will not only beautify the entrance to the department, but will also represent us all, as individuals and as a community.”