The Board of Directors of the Circle of Fine Arts of Tenerife issued a statement on Tuesday rejecting the designation of the so-called ‘monument to Franco’ as an asset of cultural interest (BIC), citing a breach of the Democratic Memory Law.
According to the circle, Juan de Ávalos’ work ‘El Ángel de la Paz’ is “intricately linked” to the monumental complex it belongs to, to the extent that citizens “do not distinguish or separate one from the other,” as it is commonly referred to as the ‘Monument to Franco.’
This situation, they contend, “already contravenes the Law of Historical Memory and Democratic Memory, and as such, its designation as BIC must be revoked” – this comes in light of the process initiated by the Cabildo de Tenerife to comply with a judicial ruling.
Furthermore, it highlights that documentary sources, including press articles from the time the monument was constructed and inaugurated, reveal “the purpose and intent of the monument, as a tribute to Franco, symbolising his departure from Tenerife, where he served as captain general of the Canary Islands, to lead the army of the so-called national side, which engaged in a military rebellion against the constitutional government, leading to a bloody civil war from 1936 to 1939, and ultimately the collapse of democracy.”
