Report calls for monument to be removed in Arrecife

After the removal of a cross, a Cabildo report has recommended that the monument it was located on must also be removed from the Plaza de las Palmeras in Arrecife, which is currently being renovated.

The report calls for “the removal of the entire architectural complex called Cruz de los Caídos with all its additional ornamental elements, four spheres of solid basaltic stone from Arucas, railings, pedestal, cross-shaped monolith and plaques” under provisions of the Law of Historical Memory, which calls for the removal of Franco-era monuments.

The report describes the monument, one of several “Crosses to the Fallen” that were erected throughout Spain in the 1950s by the fascist Falange party, as being of no cultural interest nor being part of the cultural heritage of the island. Instead, it is described as “a symbol of rebellion, war and dictatorship and an example of the culture of Franquist victory.”

Neither the cross nor the monument are part of César Manrique’s original design for the square.