Statue of Juan Ponce de León

A statue of Juan Ponce de León was erected in the Plaza de San José in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1882. In 2022, the statue was vandalized and knocked down by protestors but was quickly reinstalled.

Statue of Juan Ponce de León
ArtistC. Bupert[1]
Year1882
LocationPlaza de San José, Old San Juan

History

The statue was made from cannon captured from the British in 1797 following the Battle of San Juan, a failed attack on Puerto Rico. It was made in 1882 in New York, in the United States.[2] The King of Spain, Alfonso XII, contributed funds toward the erection of the statue.

A copy was erected in 1923 in St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States.[1]

Toppling and restoration

The statue was toppled in 2022.[3] This occurred a day before the visit of the Spanish king, Felipe VI, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the foundation of San Juan.[3]

It was reported that the Boriken Libertarian Forces claimed responsibility for the damage to the statue. The group said in a statement that "Faced with the visit of the King of Spain, Felipe VI, to Puerto Rico and the escalation of 'gringo' invaders taking over our lands, we want to send a clear message: neither kings nor 'gringo' invaders".[3]

The statue was repaired and reinstalled less than 24 hours after its toppling. Miguel Romero, the mayor of San Juan, defended the reinstallation of the statue. "Freedom of expression is protected, but what cannot be protected is vandalism. I believe vandalism is the most cowardly form of expression," he said.[4]

References
  1. "(Juan Ponce de Leon), (sculpture)". Art Inventories Catalog. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  2. Nowara, Christopher (2006). The conquest of history: Spanish colonialism and national histories in the nineteenth century. University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-8229-7109-2. OCLC 607881052.
  3. "Puerto Rico: statue of Spanish explorer toppled before King Felipe's visit". The Guardian. 24 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  4. Coto, Dánica. "Statue toppled in Puerto Rico before Spanish king's visit". PIX11. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
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