An initiative promoted by the mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena, supported by the advisers of Podemos risked erasing a piece of history of the Spanish capital. Some time ago the promise had arrived: we will change the names of the streets named after characters linked to Francoism.
No sooner said than done. The City Council approved the relative resolution, causing plaques and statues dedicated to characters linked to the Franco regime to disappear from the streets of Madrid.
But there's more, because a Commission has even been set up in Madrid made up of professors from the Complutense University in charge of drawing up a list of names to be banned.
It is a pity that the list contains characters of the caliber of the artist Salvador Dalí, of the former president of Real Madrid Santiago Bernabeu, after whom the famous city stadium is named. But also the bullfighter Manolete, the Catalan poet Josep Plat and the former president of the Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Samaranch, the latter a great friend of Francisco Franco.
But why were figures like Dali or Bernabeu included in the list despite having no ties to the dictatorship? Because according to the professors, having not opposed the regime and having had some collaboration with it in some cases, they have demonstrated their connivance. Artistic and sporting merits, when it comes to politics, take a back seat.
Controversy obviously broke out in Madrid and Mayor Carmena was forced to intervene, clarifying that in all likelihood these names will not be erased from the capital's memory because "the artists will be safeguarded".
Meanwhile, the Municipality led by Podemos has angered the Spanish curia in no small way. About a week ago, a plaque commemorating eight young Carmelites shot during the Civil War was removed from a parish cemetery. The apologies promptly arrived, but the "crime" had already been accomplished. Let's hope that soon they won't have to apologize to the millions of Real Madrid fans, also because in that case the reaction could be slightly stronger.
