There seems to be some controversy about where a statue of General Francisco Franco should be placed. Now for those of you who don't know, General Franco was considered the head of state by British and American leaders. He's also credited for being one of the reasons the army claimed victory during the Spanish Civil War.
The statue in question is of a young Franco, specifically to commemorate his role as Commander of the Legion in 1921 when he led his troops defending Melilla. Currently, the statue is at the entrance Melilla Port where the President of Melilla says it will stay for the time being. President Juan Jose Imbroda wants the Ministry of Defense to find the statue a new home. Whether it be a Military Museum or barracks, either way two things are certain...its not going anywhere until it finds a new location and it has to find a new location.
So here's the question...why does Francisco Franco need to move? Here's the rub...Franco was considered by many, Britain, France and America in particular, as a dictator, one that ruled with brutality and seeped in right wing politics. Now, the Law of Historical Memory that was passed in 2007 recognises and pays respects to those who lost their lives or otherwise during the Civil War. Part of the law also means that no symbols, statues or street names are to pay homage to leaders of the regime. General Franco is one such man that the new law says cannot be honoured. Either way, its got people talking about what really should be set in stone?
The city of Melilla doesn't agree and says that the statue was erected in 1975 for his role in defending the city - not to pledge their allegiance to the dictator. The President of Melilla was quoted as saying that he didn't think the placement of the statue broke the law, in particular the Law of Historical Memory.
And he seems to have a small following, in fact there have been appeals to replace statues that have been removed, sometimes following incorrect procedures. None of those appeals have been granted and divisions and sensitivity about the matter has been highlighted.
The easy way out? I'm not sure, do we ever choose the easy way out? Here's a little insight from Lew Wallace that might clear some things up (or even just put it into a perspective a little) "The monuments of the nations are all protests against nothingness after death; so are statues and inscriptions; so is history."
