Emilio Silva, the president of the Association for the Retrieval of Historical Memory (ARMH), revealed yesterday his intention to lodge a formal complaint against José Manuel Bermúdez, the mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The complaint is based on Bermúdez’s failure to comply with the Historical Memory law and his retention of several Franco-era symbols in the city. This includes the monument to Franco situated on Anaga Avenue.
In an interview on the La Cafetera programme on Radio Cable, Silva highlighted that “the law clearly stipulates that these monuments glorifying the Franco regime cannot remain in place, regardless of whether they are cataloged or not. This issue stands independently, and the Canary Islands Government is only exacerbating the situation.”
Silva’s comments refer to the Regional Government’s decision to annul the catalog that listed symbols, streets, monuments, and references to Francoism in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This document had been approved by the previous administration, and the Santa Cruz City Council challenged it in court in 2023, arguing that it only referenced the city and not the entire region.
The ARMH president expressed his disappointment, stating, “The revocation of the Franco catalog by the Canary Islands Government is a regrettable ploy. They are just shifting the responsibility back and forth, playing games with a list of remnants, which unfortunately, are abundant in Tenerife’s capital, particularly the dreadful angel statue that pays homage to the dictator.”
Francoist Monument
“The Government is merely passing the buck around to shirk its responsibilities. That’s why the Association will directly take the mayor of Santa Cruz to court for violating the law, much like we recently did with the Government of Castilla y León. The creation of new lists does not exempt the removal of Francoist monuments, similar to what happened before on the Island with the monolith in Las Raíces,” explained the ARMH president.
Responding to this, the City Council of Santa Cruz confirmed its commitment to following the guidelines specified in the Historical Memory law, emphasising that “the catalog needs to be regional, encompassing more than just Santa Cruz, as has been the case so far.”
Regarding the ARMH’s initiative to report the mayor, the local authorities clarified that “it is essential to remember that in the Canary Islands, specific legislation exists on historical memory. Therefore, the applicable law in this matter is not solely at the national level.”
As for the contentious removal of the Franco monument from public view, the council reminded that “the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC) granted interim protection to the structure in 2023. Furthermore, in February 2024, the Supreme Court upheld this decision. Until a verdict is reached on the artistic merit of the monument, its status quo cannot be altered,” they affirmed.
Amidst the uproar following the annulment of the Franco catalog, Maisa Navarro, a professor of Art History at the University of La Laguna and the list’s author, also weighed in. Speaking on the Más de Uno Canarias programme on Onda Cero, Navarro expressed surprise at “how certain politicians and judges have critiqued the document without possessing expertise on the subject.”
Navarro dismissed as “absurd” and “incorrect” the City Council’s argument for challenging the catalog of Francoist remnants, citing its exclusive focus on Santa Cruz. “From an administrative perspective, the catalog is comprehensive, and in fact, its final phase is underway for completion,” highlighted the professor, noting that “this outpouring of opinions has led to many convoluted viewpoints being aired.”
