The mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, responded to the Council’s declaration regarding a motion to reinterpret the Victory Monument, created by sculptor Juan de Ávalos and commonly referred to as the monument to Franco. He reminded everyone that “it is municipal property, thus the city council is the only authority that can rename or reinterpret it.” He urged the Cabildo “to consult with the council on any potential reinterpretation.”
Bermúdez further stated that “the Cabildo has embarked on the path that justice requires, which is to initiate the process to declare the monument an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC). I find this appropriate, but any proposal to change the name of a sculpture that is municipal property cannot occur, as it is not under their ownership. Thus, it appears to me that this does not hold meaning. He concluded by emphasising that “if there is a need to reinterpret and rename it, this will be conducted through a participatory process involving parties with an interest.”
In a similar vein, the first deputy mayor and councillor for Public Services, Carlos Tarife, concurred with this viewpoint and reminded that “Santa Cruz has a plan in place for the restoration of that fountain, which is yet to be approved because we were awaiting clarification on the statue’s status.” For this reason, he stated, “we must process this BIC without specifying a name at this stage,” adding, “ideally, I would like there to be a participative process to rename the sculpture.”
On her part, the president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, defended the insular Corporation’s decision to advocate for the reinterpretation of the Franco monument, labelling the Santa Cruz City Council’s proposal for a participatory process as a “brilliant idea.” Speaking to the press, she acknowledged that it is a “municipal monument” but felt that this should not be viewed as a “barrier” for the Cabildo to “suggest that there should be no glorification of the military uprising or that of a dictator, but rather promote democratic values.” She assured that the motion from CC and PP to the Cabildo’s plenary session, to rename it the Monument for Concord, will continue.
Dávila also pointed out that the declaration process as BIC “may take years” as it ultimately depends on the Government of the Canary Islands. She announced a meeting scheduled for next Friday with representatives of the city council, making it clear that in the capital “there is no space for remnants.”
From the PSOE of Tenerife, general secretary Pedro Martín highlighted that the socialists oppose the motion to “reinterpret” the Franco monument without awaiting the conclusion of the declaration process, whether affirmative or not, for its BIC status. He remarked that there are elements suggesting that the conclusion may be unfavourable, noting that “during the last mandate we commissioned studies” and the findings indicated that “it lacks exceptional artistic value.”
