the impressive sculpture of mencey Bentor, vandalized

The well-known sculpture of the mencey Bentor, located at the El Lance viewpoint (Tigaiga), in Los Realejos, has dawned this Monday, January 31, with graffiti in which derogatory descriptions can be read in white and large paint stains of the hip to the feet of the statue. “A madman is on the loose in Los Realejos. I hope they catch him soon. Attacking our monuments is an attack on our values ​​and our history,” said the realejero and deputy councilor for the fight against climate change of the Government of the Canary Islands, Miguel Pérez.

The sculpture was commissioned to the Canarian artist Carmen León Rodríguez in 1996, to pay homage to the figure of the mencey Bentor, who is considered the last mencey of the Canary Islands and who preferred to jump into the void before being taken prisoner and enslaved by the conquerors. Castilians.

The statue is located in one of the most impressive viewpoints in Tenerife, El Lance, from where you can see the three municipalities that make up the Valle de La Orotava, lands dominated by the menceyato of Tahoro.