Melilla Removes Last Public Statue of Franco, Marking Historic Shift

Installed in 1978, three years after the death of dictator Francisco Franco, the statue was removed on Tuesday. This statue commemorated his role as commander of the Spanish Legion in the Rif War, a conflict waged in the 1920s by Spain and France in the mountainous Rif region of Morocco. "This is a historic day for Melilla," said Elena Fernandez Trevino, head of education and culture in the enclave, stressing that it was "the only statue dedicated to a dictator still in the public sphere in Europe."

The proposal to remove the statue was voted on in the Melilla assembly. This proposal was supported by the Coalición por Mellila, Ciudadanos and PSOE parties. Only the Vox party opposed the removal of the statue on the grounds that it celebrated Franco’s military role and not his dictatorship. As for the Popular Party, it chose to abstain.