Spain prepares to receive the BAP Unión in style

Special for Commerce

In a few hours the BAP Union, the training ship of the Peruvian Navy will arrive in Spain after 6 years to strengthen cultural, historical and professional ties with the country. In addition, it will open its doors to the general public so that they can learn more about the history, geography, gastronomy and diversity of Peru.

The Peruvian ship will arrive at the ports of Malaga and Cádiz on January 21 and 31, respectively, as part of the maritime journey that is taking it to travel through 20 ports, 16 countries and 5 continents, which is equivalent to around 33,500 miles.

Spain and the United States will be countries that will receive the BAP in two different ports within the same territory. For Rosario Botton Girón, Consul General of Peru in Seville, this fact shows that the bilateral relationship with those countries is being privileged: “The idea is that this itinerant embassy strengthens the image of Peru abroad and that foreign authorities strengthen their ties. with us on a diplomatic and political level. Currently, relations between the Spanish navy and the Peruvian navy are going through an extraordinary moment. Likewise, it is important to note that in Spain they see the BAP Unión as the “younger son” of the Spanish training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano because experienced crew members of said ship were the instructors of the first crew of the Unión.”

For his part, Captain Roberto Vargas Salas, Naval Attaché to the Embassy of Peru in Spain, highlights the importance of this circumnavigation for Peru: “On each trip we strengthen the ties of friendship and bilateral cooperation with the countries we visit, “both with the local Navy Forces and with the citizens.” Additionally, he comments that circumnavigation, from a purely naval point of view, is relevant to strengthen the classroom knowledge of our sailors and because they have the opportunity to put into practice all those skills and abilities that they need to operate a vessel of this magnitude. . Finally, he adds, “these voyages allow us to demonstrate that we are a maritime country, while, at the same time, we value our exportable offer and all those things that identify us as Peruvians.”

In addition to the activities programmed inside the ship, For the first time, the most representative monuments in Andalusia will be illuminated with the colors of our flag on the occasion of the arrival of the Unión.

Malaga for the first time

The first point of arrival will be the port of Malaga, where you will be received by the Malaga City Council with a musical band this Sunday the 21st. Two activities are planned: a press conference on board the ship; together with the Captain of the ship and the Ambassador of Peru in Spain and the official start of the visits to the general public.

Likewise, two activities are planned that seek to connect Peru to Spain in a very special way. This is the visit of the students of the Santa Rosa de Lima School, in Malaga, who will learn firsthand the origins of their name. In turn, schoolchildren from Jaén’s public schools will enter the ship to discover more about the city in the Cajamarca region that bears their same name.

To all these events are added events outside the ship such as Mariella Köhn’s concert at the Ateneo de Málaga and the Inauguration of the Shipibo-Konibo photographic exhibition at the San Telmo Art School.

Reunion with Cádiz

On Wednesday, January 31, the ship will enter the Dársena de Cádiz Commercial Dock and then a welcome will be offered by the Cádiz City Council along with a music band. A press conference will later be held on board the ship.

Among the activities scheduled in this Spanish municipality are a visit to the Pantheon of Illustrious Sailors, the delivery of the model of the BAP to the San Fernando Naval Museum, the floral offering to Admiral Grau, located in Alameda Apodaca; a cultural parade of Tunantada (a festival originally from the mountains of Peru) organized by the Peruvian community resident in Huelva and a sailing ceremony with a sailor dance partner.

In parallel, a talk by historian Víctor Peralta titled “Life and work of José Eusebio Llanos Zapata” and a concert by Mariella Köhn will be held in other parts of the city, both at the Casa de Iberoamérica; and the inauguration of the Memory of Peru exhibition.

Casa Perú, an opportunity

In Casa Perú, a space created by PromPerú, the Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Exports and Tourism, within the same ship, Spanish residents will be able to discover the riches of our country. In this space, visitors will be able to discover a wide range of Peruvian products such as Superfoods, specialty coffees or fine alpaca fiber; export services and the different tourist attractions that Peru offers. That is to say, This will be an opportunity to get to know Peru while in Spain.

“La Casa Perú shows all the cultural diversity, the historical, tourist and commercial wealth of our country. That is, it shows everything we represent to the world. This image has been forged thanks to the efforts made by both the Foreign Ministry and the Peruvian Navy,” says Rosario Botton.

Likewise, the circumnavigation that the ship is carrying out seeks to train future officers and personnel of the Peruvian Navy. For this reason, during visits to each of the ports, sailors have the possibility of strengthening ties with the Armed Forces of each of the countries they visit, greatly enriching their training process with these experiences.

“The experience inside the ship is quite interesting because it is a test for the sailors because they must live confined in a small space for a long time. During these long periods of navigation they must control their mind and body to carry out their daily work, do sports and relax activities,” says Vargas Salas.

Finally, the City Councils of Málaga and Cádiz have provided facilities for the Unión crew to enter local museums and take tourist tours of the city.

For this reason, they will visit the Alcazaba Museum in Malaga, the Carmen Thyssen Museum in Malaga, and the Automobile and Fashion Museum in Malaga. In Cádiz, the Spanish Navy has given the opportunity to visit the Fleet Headquarters, the Aircraft Flotilla, the Marine Corps, among other units and departments of the navy.

About the BAP Union

The training ship is a sailboat that was built between 2012 and 2015 in the shipyards of the Industrial Services of the Peruvian Navy, located in the port of Callao. It has the name BAP Unión in honor of the Unión corvette – a warship with similar characteristics to the frigate, but with less tonnage and autonomy – a ship that participated in the first stage of the Pacific War (1879-1884), as part of the squadron commanded by Admiral Don Miguel Grau Seminario, Peru’s greatest naval hero.

It has been 169 years since the last Peruvian ship traveled the seas around the world, which is why this trip of the BAP Unión marks a historical milestone for Peru.

He is currently on his sixth trip abroad, completing a circumnavigation of the earth. Over 11 months, its 250 Peruvian Navy crew members will disembark in 20 ports in 16 countries and sail around 33,500 nautical miles.

The Unión is 115.75 meters long by 14 meters wide and has 5.6 meters of air draft. She has four masts and can reach a speed of 12 knots under motor and up to 5.5 knots under sail. In addition to the cabins, the ship has an infirmary, dental office, medical laboratory, hairdresser, tailoring, carpentry, library, computer room and a multifunctional room where visitors can see a sample of typical Peruvian products.