A group of activists has glued the silicon head as a dictator Francisco Franco to the sculpture of the Legionary of Madrid, at the tip of the rifle. The action took place on 1 January 2023, explaining that its objective is to put on the table the debate of colonialism in order to avoid its current consequences.

The activists wanted to change the meaning of the State of the Legionary “without destroying anything”: “The Spanish Legion was the author of colonial violence, and its exaltation in the streets is an insult,” they said recently, as El Salto has gathered. General Franco left the Legion at the 1936 Coup d'état and carried out massacres abroad.

Ignorance of history

Franco’s boss has announced that he will have a “short life” because they prefer the action to be more symbolic than material, “and therefore immortal.” Entrepreneurs have condemned the lack of knowledge of history in Spain and have claimed the need to reflect “all aspects of history” on the streets. The president of Franco has done so by the sculptor Eugenio Moreno.

They denounce that the consequences of colonialism remain obvious: "Violence on the Melilla border, aggression against migrants and discrimination continue to be suffered by descendants."

The State was installed in November on Castellana Street in Madrid, near the headquarters of the Spanish Defence Staff. It was presented by the mayor of the city, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, praising José Millán Astray, founder of the Spanish Legion. Precisely, anti-racism activists have chosen January 1 for action, because it is 69 years since the death of Millán Astray: “We want colonialism to be the first day of the year of fatalities,” they say.