An independent Slovenian state!

This was the thousand-year-old dream of Slovenians. And the goal and desire of the generation born after the World War I that persisted until the establishment of the independent country.

I cannot forget our painful disappointment under the dictatorship of General Živković and King Alexander, when we children were not permitted to sing the Slovenian anthem or carry a Slovenian flag. Our young intellectuals – the first to have received their entire education in Slovenian schools and hold degrees from the newly established University of Ljubljana – were dying or were imprisoned under the Italian and German occupation in the  World War II.

These events dealt a powerful blow to our hope that we would ever be able to live in our own country.

The single-mindedness that had lasted half a century also claimed the lives of many young people.

But hope was kindling in our hearts that Slovenia would someday be independent. And this hope was realised twenty-five years ago.

I cannot describe my feelings when I saw Slovenian flags fluttering in Ljubljana on TV, or my emotions when I saw Slovenian soldiers marching.

At the time, I was a press officer for the Zedinjena Slovenija Association and I had to follow all events taking place in Slovenia, such as the Yugoslav army’s invasion of the Slovenian territory and the heroic resistance of our soldiers. I admit that I always had tears in my eyes as I wrote my reports for the Svobodna Slovenija weekly newspaper.

The images of our beautiful land on TV reminded me of Slovenian mothers dying in Argentina. In the last years of their lives, they visited their Slovenian homes and towns, without making any accusations against the people responsible for their forced exile to foreign countries.

The celebration of the announcement of the independent Slovenian state grew unimaginably intense: Slovenians in Argentina came to life. Our environment was suddenly flooded with pictures and leaflets about Slovenia’s independence. The TV and radio constantly broadcast speeches. I am attaching a chronological record of our activities at the time.

I still follow events in the young country of Slovenia and have faith that God will help Slovenians overcome the problems encountered. From my current position, I can particularly see how beautiful our country is. It is a green gem in the heart of Europe.

Slovenian soil will remain in Slovenian hands if we are able to defend it and also make sacrifices for it.