The recent removal of statues depicting Fidel Castro and Che Guevara from Mexico City’s Tabacalera Garden has ignited a fierce political and cultural debate.
Installed in 2018 to commemorate the duo’s 1955 meeting in Mexico—where they began planning the Cuban Revolution—the sculptures were removed by Cuauhtémoc Mayor Alessandra Rojo de la Vega, citing irregularities in their installation and public complaints. The decision drew sharp criticism from President Claudia Sheinbaum, who condemned the move as “illegal,” “intolerant,” and “hypocritical,” demanding the statues be returned and relocated through proper channels.
Sheinbaum’s vocal defense of the statues has raised eyebrows, especially as Mexico grapples with escalating insecurity and cartel violence. Critics argue that her administration’s focus on symbolic gestures—like preserving controversial monuments—distracts from urgent national issues. Despite some progress, cartel influence continues to expand across regions like Chiapas, Guerrero, and Tabasco, where criminal groups exert control over local economies through extortion and forced recruitment.
While Sheinbaum has touted successes such as extraditing cartel leaders and dismantling fentanyl labs, experts warn that these efforts may overlook everyday violence affecting civilians. The statue controversy, amplified by Sheinbaum’s passionate response, has become a lightning rod for broader frustrations about governance priorities. As ideological fault lines deepen, the debate reflects not just differing views on historical memory, but also growing concern over whether symbolic politics are overshadowing Mexico’s security crisis.
In the words of columnist Carlos Bravo Regidor, many are “more concerned about the retirement of some miserable statues of Fidel and el Che than for the misery suffered by those who live beneath the yoke of the Cuban dictatorship”—a sentiment that resonates with those demanding action over symbolism.
Source: El Espectador
