Call to Remove Protection from Controversial Franco Monument in Tenerife
Mercedes Pérez Schwartz, president of the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory in Tenerife, is urging the Canarian Government’s General Directorate of Culture and Cultural Heritage to expedite the closure of the file regarding the declaration of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Franco Monument as a Cultural Asset of Interest (BIC). This comes after two detailed technical reports concluded that the monument lacks the necessary cultural values for such protection.
Both the Technical Committee for Architectural Heritage and the full Council of Cultural Heritage of the Canaries have expressed a negative view on the monument’s BIC status, stating it does not meet the historical, artistic, or cultural criteria required for cataloguing.
The Association, involved in the procedure, has formally requested that the Council convene swiftly to finalize the closure of this protective file, aiming to avoid any further delays in what they believe has already been adequately resolved from a technical standpoint.
Pérez Schwartz stressed the importance of concluding this process, stating, “After two clear and consistent technical reports, it is essential to complete this procedure as soon as possible and fully apply what has been outlined in the process promoted by the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory.” She believes there are no longer any reasons to extend a file that should expedite the enforcement of current legislation.
This decision is particularly significant as it would ensure that the site aligns with democratic memory laws. “Nearly twenty years after the first Historical Memory Law was approved, it is time for this place to finally comply with the law and stop undermining the memory and dignity of the victims of Francoism,” she remarked.
Since its inception in 2007, the Association has been part of the Technical Commission of Historical Memory in the Canaries. They emphasise that the presence of symbols that contradict democratic memory is incompatible with state and regional legal obligations. The Association is hopeful that the protective file will be conclusively closed this month, allowing the Ministry to proceed with the removal of the monument without having to delay until September, as August is typically non-operational.
