Fortunately, despite all the political debate, a monument to Adolf Hitler in a German state capital is unthinkable. In Tenerife’s capital, Santa Cruz, however, even a good half-century after his death, no one can bring themselves to remove the monument associated with the former Spanish dictator and mass murderer Francisco Franco. The dispute is entering the next round.
The mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, speaks of ‚cultural heritage‘. His party, the Coalición Canaria (CC), was founded after the end of the Franco dictatorship. Memories of the period before that seem to be fading even within the CC.
For decades, the catalyst has been the ‚Angel of Victory‘ by Juan de Ávalos, dedicated to Franco. The monument stands near the port of Santa Cruz on Avenida de Anaga. Whilst art associated with the dictator remains part of the streetscape in some Spanish towns, in the Canary Islands people are constantly finding new ways to even gloss over the monument. The debate is a sad reflection on the situation.
A monument to a dictator – is that normal in Spain?
Just under two years ago, the President of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, accompanied by her deputy, proposed renaming the house-sized installation the ‚Monument to Harmony‘. The politician’s aim was to block activists from having the monument demolished. On the contrary, the intention was to have it elevated to the list of assets of cultural interest (BIC) requiring protection. This would have stripped the city of responsibility and transferred it to the island.
Even two years on, the issue keeps cropping up whenever there are no pressing challenges to deal with in the Canary Islands – ranging from major forest fires to migration. Yet this is about more than just a topic to fill the summer news slump. Tenerife, the Canary Islands and Spain in general must face the question of why they are unable to tear down all the monuments dedicated to one of the greatest murderers in Spanish history.
At least a majority has now been found, enabling Madrid to intervene and order the demolition. However, in the past, there has always been a majority at national, regional or local level opposed to the demolition. This time, it is the city itself, through its mayor, that is referring the matter to the Heritage Protection Council. Bermúdez told Atlantico Hoy: „The meeting is not just about deciding whether to include the monument in the catalogue. It is also about providing information for the catalogue.“ In other words: this time, Santa Cruz is looking for a way to save the monument.
The Canary Islands would rather honour a dictator than take a firm stand
It is hard to imagine that significant sections of a population are suffering from Stockholm syndrome, in which victims form an emotional bond with their tormentor. Instead, the debate has become synonymous with 21st-century politics: there is no longer the clear-cut stance of yesteryear. Rather, every decision on a case-by-case basis is weighed up against the current zeitgeist and the potential loss of votes.
The artist’s descendants are campaigning to preserve the Franco monument. Politicians who do not wish to lose votes are getting involved. And a new generation of conservatives is coming to the fore. This is often how those describe themselves who did not find ‚everything bad‘ about an era they did not themselves experience – an era in which people could be shot in the street simply for expressing their personal opinions. Or – as in the case of Tenerife – deported to Mount Teide, killed there and thrown into old lava caves. The focus should be solely on them: the victims of that era and their memory.
The Canary Islands would do well to finally take a united stand against Franco’s legacy. But when the mayor of the town where the monument to a mass murderer stands says instead that it is „of course a monument to Franco, but I am not taking a stand on this issue for ideological reasons, but rather for reasons of cultural heritage“, it is as if Hitler’s amateur paintings were hung in the Reichstag for aesthetic reasons, or „Mein Kampf“ were published as a perfectly legitimate expression of opinion.
It may well be time to broaden the debate: there appears to be an urgent need for discussion, for example, regarding history teaching in Spain.
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