Statue of Andrés Manuel López Obrador

The statue of Andrés Manuel López Obrador[a] was a limestone sculpture of the 65th president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. It was installed on 29 December 2021 at the intersection of Isidro Fabela Avenue and Circuito José Jiménez Cantú, in the municipality of Atlacomulco, State of Mexico. Roberto Téllez Monroy, the outgoing municipal president, ordered its installation; he is a member of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) political party, founded by López Obrador.

Statue of Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Spanish: Estatua de Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Picture of the statue of López Obrador, a stone sculpture placed on a pedestal. López stands while he embraces himself.
The statue after its inauguration
Map
Location
Year2021
MediumPink limestone
SubjectAndrés Manuel López Obrador
Dimensions1.8 m (5.9 ft)
ConditionDestroyed
LocationAtlacomulco, State of Mexico
Coordinates19°48′19.5″N 99°52′24.5″W / 19.805417°N 99.873472°W / 19.805417; -99.873472

The statue was toppled and destroyed during the early morning of the change of municipal administration by unidentified people on 1 January 2022 (New Year's Day). Téllez Monroy would file a complaint for vandalism.

History, installation and destruction

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Roberto Téllez Monroy was thr mayor of Atlacomulco, State of Mexico, from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2021. He was elected to govern as a representative of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) political party, which was founded by Andrés Manuel López Obrador (commonly abbreviated as AMLO), the president of Mexico from 2018 to 2024. On 29 December 2021, Téllez Monroy installed a statue to honor López Obrador. He claimed to have personally paid for the statue with his own funds—MX$50,000 Mexican pesos (approximately US$2,400)—instead of using public money.[1][2] However, the cost of the sculpture was billed to the municipal treasury so that it would remain as municipal property.[1]

Téllez Monroy explained that the installation aimed to "break stigmas and paradigms" and to allow people to recognize López Obrador's achievements. He described it as a "recognition to the President of the Republic".[b] Notably, Téllez Monroy was the first politician not affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) to preside the municipality.[4] Atlacomulco is historically linked to a political group of the same name, from which several governors have emerged, all of whom were born or raised in the municipality.[5]

In addition to the statue of López Obrador, a bust of Emiliano Zapata was also placed behind it, complementing the monument. A quote attributed to Zapata was inscribed: "Whoever wants to be an eagle should fly, whoever wants to be a worm should crawl, but should not scream when they get stepped on".[1][6]

During the early hours of 1 January 2022 (New Year's Day), as the administration of Roberto Téllez Monroy transitioned to that of his successor, Marisol Arias Flores, a representative of the opposition coalition Va por México (in which the PRI is an ally), the statue was toppled and destroyed by unidentified individuals.[4][7] The head and legs of the statue were reported as missing.[2]

According to Téllez Monroy, neighbors reported that around the time of the statue's collapse, the streetlights at the site were turned off. He also noted that the security camera recording the statue was not functioning. Téllez Monroy filed a complaint with the state prosecutor's office for vandalism. As of April 2022, the remains of the statue were still being guarded by local security, as they had not been claimed. Additionally, the complaint filed was reportedly stalled.[1]

Description

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The statue was 1.8 meters (5 ft 11 in) tall and made of pink limestone.[2][4] The concrete pedestal featured a plaque with a typographical error, displaying the inscription in all caps:

Andres [sic] Manuel López Obrador
Presidente de México
2018–2024[8]

Citizens of Tlalpujahua, Michoacán, sculpted it.[2]

Reception

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Former president of Mexico, Felipe Calderón, stated that the installation exemplifies the meaning of the "Fourth Transformation", López Obrador's political platform. He drew a comparison to the previous phases of the PRI: the National Revolutionary Party, the Party of the Mexican Revolution, and the PRI era, suggesting that MORENA represents its "Fourth Transformation". Calderón added, "Each stage has had the living statue of its maximum leader. Furthermore... in Atlacomulco".[9]

After the statue's demolition, around 20 people protested in front of the municipal palace.[10] Diego Fernández de Cevallos remarked that López Obrador had destroyed the statue himself, referencing his promise to leave "not a stone set upon another".[11]

López Obrador on monuments

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On 2 October 2019, and 10 September 2020, López Obrador stated that he did not want streets, neighborhoods, statues, or monuments bearing his name or likeness, as he believed it was no longer a time for personality cults.[12][13][4] On 3 January 2022, he acknowledged the statue but reiterated his stance on monuments.[14]

Notes

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  1. ^ Spanish: Estatua de Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
  2. ^ Original text in Spanish: "romper los estigmas y paradigmas y que la gente reconozca lo que se hizo. Es un reconocimiento al presidente de la República".[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Miranda, Rodrigo (11 April 2022). "Nadie ha reclamado la estatua de AMLO derribada en Atlacomulco" [Nobody has claimed the statue of AMLO that was toppled in Atlacomulco]. El Sol de Toluca (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "Derriban estatua de AMLO recién develada en Atlacomulco" [AMLO statue newly unveiled in Atlacomulco is toppled]. Forbes. EFE. 1 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  3. ^ Jiménez, Rebeca (2 January 2022). "Exalcalde de Atlacomulco denunciará derribo de estatua de AMLO" [Former mayor will file a complaint about the toppling of AMLO's statue in Atlacomulco]. El Universal (in Spanish). Atlacomulco. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d "AMLO en tierra del PRI: así es su estatua de 50 mil pesos en Atlacomulco" [AMLO in PRI territory: this is his 50,000 peso statue in Atlacomulco]. Infobae (in Spanish). 30 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  5. ^ "En cuna del grupo Atlacomulco, colocan primera estatua pública de AMLO" [First public statue of AMLO placed in the cradle of the Atlacomulco group]. Expansión (in Spanish). 29 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  6. ^ Montaño, Ma. Teresa (2 January 2022). "Seguidores de AMLO protestan por el derribo de su estatua en Atlacomulco" [AMLO supporters protest the toppling of his statue in Atlacomulco]. Proceso (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Statue of Mexico president in opposition stronghold toppled after two days". Reuters. Mexico City. 1 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  8. ^ "Morenistas develan estatua de AMLO en Atlacomulco, cuna del priismo" [Morenistas unveil AMLO statue in Atlacomulco, the birthplace of PRIism]. Proceso (in Spanish). 29 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  9. ^ "Estatua de AMLO demuestra que la 4T es la cuarta etapa del PRI: Calderón" ["AMLO statue shows that the 4T is the fourth stage of the PRI: Calderón]. Proceso (in Spanish). 31 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  10. ^ Miranda, Rodrigo (2 January 2021). "Exalcalde presentará denuncia por derribo de estatua de AMLO en Atlacomulco" [Former mayor to file complaint for demolition of AMLO statue in Atlacomulco]. El Sol de Toluca (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Estoy seguro que Tartufo la destruyó: 'Jefe' Diego sobre estatua de AMLO en Atlacomulco" [I'm sure Tartuffe destroyed it: 'Jefe' Diego on AMLO's statue in Atlacomulco]. Aristegui Noticias (in Spanish). 1 January 2022.
  12. ^ Villa y Caña, Pedro; Morales, Alberto (2 October 2019). "Cuando termine mi gobierno, no quiero estatuas ni calles con mi nombre: AMLO" [When my government ends, I don't want statues or streets with my name: AMLO]. El Universal (in Spanish). Mexico City. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  13. ^ Carrillo, Emmanuel (10 September 2021). "AMLO dice que no quiere estatuas ni calles nombradas en su honor" [AMLO says he does not want statues or streets named in his honor]. Forbes (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  14. ^ Ramírez, Rafael (3 January 2022). "AMLO agradece a quienes pusieron estatua en su honor en Atlacomulco" [AMLO thanks those who put up a statue in his honor in Atlacomulco]. El Sol de México (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 January 2022.