SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 8 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The leader of the Socialist Group in the Tenerife Cabildo announced on Tuesday that the PSOE councillors will oppose the proposal put forward by the Canarian Coalition and the Popular Party to “reclassify” the ‘monument’ to Franco and bestow upon it the status of a “monument to concord,” which will be discussed at the plenary session on October 25.
Pedro Martín reminded that previously, the socialists dismantled the Franco statue in Las Raíces and repealed his title as ‘Adopted Son of Tenerife’.
“Now, the PP and CC seek to safeguard the primary symbol of the coup that remains on the island while simultaneously distorting history by assigning a different significance to what was a military uprising, a civil war, and a dictatorship,” he remarked in a statement.
He further emphasised that the two “conservative” groups have voiced their intention to “preserve Franco’s statue”, aligning with the views of the mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Manuel Bermúdez.
“Were the hero of Canarian nationalism, Secundino Delgado, still alive, he would undoubtedly be ashamed of this proposal,” he stated.
In his view, “what truly matters” is that the sculpture contravenes Law 52/2007, enacted on December 26, concerning Historical Memory.
“How can we discuss reconciliation when a decision has been made to uphold a work that glorifies Francoism, without awaiting an evaluation to establish whether the sculptural group qualifies as an Asset of Cultural Interest?” he questioned.
Simultaneously, he insisted, “Does anyone genuinely believe that a monument to a coup d’état against a legitimate Government can represent concord? Can it embody reconciliation, the cloak-and-dagger persona of Franco?”
According to Martín, “the sculptural composition depicts the island of Tenerife as the location where the coup rebellion and its alignment with the fascist movement occurred. How do they intend to alter reality and expect us to perceive it as a symbol of a democratic island?”
The general secretary of the Tenerife socialists also stated, as elaborated, “the portrayal of an archangel aiding Franco in his salvific crusade” or “how to accept that divine providence justifies a civil war.”
