Santa Cruz de Tenerife Files Legal Challenge to Halt Removal of Victory Monument

The Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council is taking legal action against the Ministry of Democratic Memory to stop the planned removal of the Monument to the Victory on Avenida de Anaga. The Ministry has ordered the monument’s removal by February 2027, but the local government plans to file a formal appeal by the end of November. They are also seeking an injunction to prevent any work on the structure until a court reaches a final decision.

Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez argues that the monument, sculpted by Juan de Ávalos, holds significant artistic value and should be protected as part of the city’s heritage. The Council maintains that its status as a public asset allows them to preserve it for its aesthetic and historical importance, regardless of its origins during the Franco regime.

The legal challenge aims to prevent the "irreversible damage" that the Council claims would result from dismantling the piece. Addressing concerns over costs, Mayor Bermúdez noted that the legal work is being handled by existing city staff rather than through expensive outside contracts.

This dispute highlights ongoing tensions over how the Democratic Memory Law is applied. Mayor Bermúdez has questioned why the Ministry, led by Víctor Ángel Torres, is targeting this specific site while seemingly ignoring other similar structures across the islands. He also pointed out that previous attempts to protect the monument have faced legal hurdles, making this new court battle necessary.

Rather than framing this as an ideological debate, the City Council is focusing on a technical legal argument: that the monument’s artistic merit justifies its preservation under heritage protection laws. As the Ministry continues to demand compliance, the Council is preparing to defend the monument in court, centering its case on the work's artistic significance.