Page 7 - aruba-today-20220126

A7
WORLD NEWS Wednesday 26 January 2022

Statue toppled in Puerto Rico before Spanish king's visit

San Juan Mayor Miguel sion." Two years ago, activ-
Romero defended the re- ists marched through the
installation in an interview streets of Old San Juan as
with Telemundo Puerto they joined a U.S. move-
Rico, saying, "The Spaniards ment to eradicate sym-
from 500 years ago are not bols of oppression and
the same ones of today." demanded that Spain's
He later told reporters after legacy in Puerto Rico be
the king arrived: "Freedom erased.
of expression is protected, While some statues have
but what cannot be pro- been defaced with graf-
tected is vandalism. I be- fiti, police said this is the
lieve vandalism is the most first time such a statue was
cowardly form of expres- toppled.q

A monument of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León lays in pieces in Plaza San Jose in San
Juan, Puerto Rico, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022.
Associated Press

By DÁNICA COTO cannons and featured forts, with some posting
Associated Press the Spanish explorer fac- signs on the statue's base,
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico ing south with his left hand one of which read, "They're
(AP) — Unknown people on his hip and right finger not gods." Protesters said
toppled a statue of Span- pointed toward the first set- that they would topple it
ish explorer Juan Ponce de tlement he founded, which again and that a Christo-
León in the pre-dawn hours was the island's first Span- pher Columbus statue was
of Monday ahead of a visit ish capital and is a U.S. Na- next.
of Spain's King Felipe VI to tional Historic Landmark. Spain's legacy is prominent
the U.S. Caribbean territory The statue also points in the across Puerto Rico, with
of Puerto Rico. direction of the nearby San a main road in San Juan
Col. José Juan García, po- Juan Bautista Cathedral named after Ponce de
lice commissioner for San that holds Ponce de León's León and a colossal Co-
Juan, told The Associated remains and is a popular lumbus statue rising along
Press that officers patrolling tourist spot. the island's northern coast,
the cobblestone streets of Crews in Old San Juan re- a 660-ton sculpture that is
the capital's historic district installed the 1,000 plus- more than twice the size of
heard a loud bang at 4:30 pound (589-kilogram) stat- the Statue of Liberty with-
a.m. and found the broken ue a couple hours after the out its pedestal. A much
statue. king arrived late Monday smaller Columbus statue
"It sounded like an explo- afternoon. stands at the entrance of
sion," he said. A handful of protesters Old San Juan, just blocks
The statue was made of heckled the workers and from the one that was top-
melted steel from British briefly interrupted their ef- pled.