They assure that the Earth is flat and meet this weekend "Diario La Capitale de Mar del Plata

The celebration of a meeting of terraplanistas, as they say themselves who say that the Earth is flat, this weekend in Buenos Aires, in the city of Colon, sparked controversy between the municipality that offered a campsite and the Argentine Association of Astronomy, which complained of this permission and ratified the fact that the planet is undoubtedly a sphere.

It all began on February 20 when the municipality of Colón, located north of Buenos Aires, announced on its Facebook page that on March 2 and 3 it would organize the "First National and International Meeting of Terraplanistas" in the lake and the complex. . Municipal Sports Center.

"The municipality provides the public space for this event, in which will participate citizens of our country but also countries like Chile, Spain and the United States," says the text, which announces the participation of Captain Menganno, "Argentine Superhero of Lanús, known for his solidarity campaigns in favor of Garraham Hospital."

But in a second paragraph, the municipality defined terraplanism as "a global movement that considers, on the basis of scientific data, that the Earth is flat".

"If you ask me, the first thing I have to say is that Earth is round," said Colon Tourism Director Mario Quagliardi. "We do not sponsor him, they are just neighbors of Columbus who asked us to camp for this meeting and we interpreted that we did not have to say no because we had already lent it to bikers , evangelists or Adventists, "he added.

But the controversy was already settled and the Argentine Astronomical Association issued a statement in which it expressed its "deep concern" for the meeting of terraplanists and for "the promotion, among public institutions, of activities claiming to claim ideas clearly erroneous and discarded centuries ago – like the flatness of the Earth – is unacceptable ".

"This is all the more true in the context of underfunding that is currently suffering from the country's entire scientific and technological apparatus," they added.

Quagliardi stated that the municipality of Colón did not sponsor the event and that she had even rejected a request from the terraplanistas that the intendant pay the fuel costs and declare the meeting "d & # 39; Municipal interest ".

The official said that the arrival of the terraplanistas had already brought benefits: "Half of the hotels are booked, it generates a lot of movement for tourism".

Although there are different versions of the movement, the terraplanists maintain that there is no evidence to certify that the Earth is spherical and agree to use the flat hand at the height of the roof to greet. It should be noted that last year took place in Denver, United States, another "first international meeting".

"We consider that it is very worrying that are encouraged demonstrations of public or governmental institutions where one of the main badumptions is that scientific results are a matter of opinion", complained of astronomers about the appointment, which, according to the municipality, will gather about 300 people, they are the writer Pablo Ramos and Alfio Basile Junior, the son of the former footballer and coach Alfio "Coco" Basil .