The La Laguna City Council has tasked a team from the University of La Laguna with conducting a study to identify symbols of the Franco dictatorship that may still exist throughout the streets, monuments, and buildings of the municipality. The study will be led by María Isabel Navarro, a professor of Art History at the University of La Laguna, who has coordinated the compilation of Francoist remnants produced by the University on behalf of the Government of the Canary Islands.
The mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, clarifies that the aim of the City Council is to “continue striving to eradicate all symbols that glorify the dictatorship era, in alignment with the Canary Islands’ Historical Memory Law of 2019 and the Democratic Memory Law of 2022,” as ratified in the plenary session this Thursday, following a motion tabled by the Government Group.
Luis Yeray Gutiérrez has expressed his gratitude to “the University of La Laguna, its research team, and the esteemed María Isabel Navarro, who is overseeing this study, which will be comprehensive and meticulous, and will play a crucial role in ensuring that any vestige of Francoist symbolism is entirely removed from La Laguna.”
“In recent years, substantial advancements have been made in this area. A pertinent example is the anteroom of the City Council plenary hall, where during the last term, we eliminated the portraits of all the mayors who served during the dictatorship. However, there are still certain elements to be addressed, not only in public spaces but also regarding honours and distinctions awarded during that era, and that is precisely what we seek to clarify through this University study,” he elaborates.
Luis Yeray Gutiérrez has emphasised that “public administrations bear the duty to be resolute in eradicating any symbology or messaging that undermines individual freedoms, particularly when extremist political groups assert their connections to the Franco regime. La Laguna will not shy away from this reality, and we shall continue to advocate for the values of reconciliation and solidarity that are the foundation of our democratic system.”
