The PSOE in the Cabildo has lodged objections against the initiative put forth by CC and the PP to designate the sculpture by Juan de Ávalos, known as the Monument to Franco, located on Anaga Avenue, as a Cultural Interest Asset (BIC). The socialist spokesperson, Aaron Afonso, asserts that “the BIC designation is being used as a ruse to circumvent the removal of a Francoist symbol which, under current legislation, must be eliminated from public spaces.”
The PSOE contends that the sculpture serves to glorify the Franco dictatorship, infringing upon the laws regarding democratic, national, and Canarian memory. The objections are backed by two significant adverse opinions: that from the University of La Laguna and Museos de Tenerife, the only institutions recognised as advisory under the Cultural Heritage Law of the Canary Islands. Both conclude that the sculpture lacks the exceptional artistic merit required for BIC status.
In response to these reports, the Cabildo has sought opinions from entities lacking official advisory authority, including the Royal Canarian Academy of Fine Arts (which advocates for protection) and the Academy of Extremadura, associated with Ávalos. The PSOE cautions that these entities may have had a dual role in the matter, thus compromising the impartiality of the proceedings.
Afonso urges the island government to request the immediate removal of the monument from the Santa Cruz City Council. “There should be no ambiguity regarding symbols that represent a dictatorship.”
On its part, Podemos Canarias has also submitted objections concerning the BIC designation of the monument, asserting that the piece “constitutes an exaltation of the genocidal regime,” whilst lacking exceptional artistic value. It suggests that the piece should be housed in a publicly owned enclosed space, where it is contextualised with historical criteria.
