The capital's council, owner of the sculpture by Juan de Ávalos located on Avenida de Anaga, has announced it will comply with the Canary Islands Historical Memory Law. Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez confirmed that the decision to remove the monument will be made as soon as the regional Executive certifies its status as a symbol of the Francoist dictatorship.
Canarian regulations stipulate that public administrations must remove shields, insignia, plaques, street names, and monuments that exalt the military rebellion, the Civil War, or the dictatorship. However, this removal will only be effective after certification by the competent body and inclusion in the official catalog of vestiges.
The Vice-Minister of Culture and Cultural Heritage of the Canary Islands Government, Horacio Umpiérrez, announced that the catalog, already delivered by the drafting team and undergoing technical supervision, is scheduled for approval and publication this year. This document, which includes 428 Francoist symbols across the archipelago, is crucial for streamlining removal procedures and ensuring legal guarantees.
Previously, the Canary Islands Government had prepared an initial catalog focused solely on the municipality of Santa Cruz, which included the Franco monument. This catalog was annulled by the courts following an appeal by the City Council, which argued it should not be limited to a single municipality. The new catalog covers all islands, identifying 225 vestiges in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and 203 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
The Council of Cultural Heritage of the Canary Islands Government rejected the declaration of the monument as a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) on June 11, considering it did not meet the necessary values for protection. This decision comes after the Administrative Litigation Court number 3 of Santa Cruz de Tenerife ruled in favor of the Association for the Research and Protection of Historical Heritage San Miguel Arcángel, which advocated for the protection of the work. The association has reported irregularities in the process and threatened legal action to prevent the sculpture's removal.
