Mexico City Removes Fidel Castro, Che Guevara Statues Amid Protest

The removal of statues depicting Fidel Castro and Ernesto 'Che' Guevara from Mexico City's Tabacalera Garden sparked protests and controversy. Around 150 protesters, including local residents, Cuban nationals associated with the consulate, regime supporters, and Communist Party activists, gathered to oppose the removal, accusing Mayor Alessandra Rojo de la Vega of acting under political influence. Independent Cuban activists criticized the protest as orchestrated by Cuban Embassy-backed groups defending the legacy of figures responsible for exile and repression. Meanwhile, Mexico City's head of government, Clara Brugada, announced plans to relocate the sculptures to a symbolic and central public space, emphasizing their historical and symbolic value representing self-determination and solidarity with Cuba. Mayor Rojo de la Vega proposed auctioning the statues to be purchased by admirers without public funds, defending the removal as aligning with democratic values and human rights, highlighting that Castro and Guevara silenced dissent. The statues, installed in 2017 to commemorate the first meeting of the two revolutionaries in Mexico City, have long been contentious symbols, with supporters viewing them as icons of leftist history and opponents criticizing them as tributes to authoritarian regimes.