Statue of Andrés Manuel López Obrador

Statue of Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Spanish: Estatua de Andrés Manuel López Obrador
The statue after its inauguration
Location
Year	2021
Medium	Pink limestone
Subject	Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Dimensions	1.8 m (5.9 ft)
Condition	Destroyed
Location	Atlacomulco, State of Mexico
Coordinates	19°48′19.5″N 99°52′24.5″W

The statue of Andrés Manuel López Obrador^[a] was a limestone sculpture depicting Mexico's 65th president. 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. The installation was ordered by Roberto Téllez Monroy, the outgoing municipal president and a member of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), the political party founded by López Obrador.

The statue was toppled and destroyed by unidentified individuals in the early morning hours of 1 January 2022 (New Year's Day). Téllez Monroy would file a complaint for vandalism.

History, installation and destruction

Roberto Téllez Monroy served asthe 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 founded by Andrés Manuel López Obrador (commonly known as AMLO), president of Mexico from 2018 to 2024. On 29 December 2021, Téllez Monroy installed a statue in honor of AMLO. He claimed to have paid for the sculpture with his own funds—MX$50,000 Mexican pesos (approximately US$2,400)—instead of using public money.^[1][2] However, the statue's cost was ultimately charged to the municipal treasury so that it would remain public property.^[1]

Téllez Monroy explained that the statue was intended to "break stigmas and paradigms" and to allow people to recognize López Obrador's achievements. He described it as a tribute to the president of the republic.^[b] Notably, Téllez Monroy was the first non-Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) politician to govern the municipality.^[4] Atlacomulco has long been associated with the political group of the same name, known for producing several governors, all of whom were born or raised in the area.^[5]

In addition to the statue of López Obrador, a bust of Emiliano Zapata was installed behind it as part of the monument. It was accompanied by a quote attributed to Zapata: "Whoever wants to be an eagle should fly, whoever wants to be a worm should crawl, but should not cry when they are 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 (which includes the PRI as an ally), the statue was toppled and destroyed by unidentified individuals.^[4][7] The head and legs of the statue were reported missing.^[2]

According to Téllez Monroy, neighbors reported that the streetlights at the site were turned off around the time the statue was toppled. 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 under local security custody, as they had not been claimed. The investigation, however, had reportedly stalled.^[1]

Description

The statue, sculpted by citizens of Tlalpujahua, Michoacán,^[2] stood 1.8 meters (5 ft 11 in) tall and made of pink limestone.^[2][4] Its concrete pedestal bore a plaque with a typographical error, featuring the inscription in all caps:

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

Reception

Former president of Mexico, Felipe Calderón, commented that the statue's installation exemplified the essence 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 itself, arguing that MORENA represents a new iteration of the same legacy. Calderón added, "Each stage has had the living statue of its maximum leader. Furthermore... in Atlacomulco".^[9]

Following the statue's destruction, approximately 20 people gathered in protest outside the municipal palace.^[10] Diego Fernández de Cevallos sarcastically remarked that López Obrador had "destroyed the statue himself", alluding to the president's earlier pledge to leave "not a stone set upon another".^[11]

López Obrador on monuments

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 reaffirmed his position against such monuments.^[14]

Notes

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

1. 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. "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. "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.