They cover the statue of Sebastián de Belalcázar with cloth to debate about his permanence

The iconic statue of Sebastián de Belalcázar, located in the west of Cali, woke up covered, this Monday, with a white cloth put up by the Mayor’s Office with the aim of building a reflection on what it represents.

“This mantle means that discussion is open, that there are many questions and concerns,” said José Darwin Lenis Mejía, Secretary of Culture.

The cloak was put on the night of this Sunday, after in Popayán, Cauca, a group of indigenous people demolished, last Wednesday, the monument in that city in honor of the Spanish conqueror.

On the other hand, in the last hours, an image has circulated urging citizens to gather this Monday, September 21 at 3:00 pm to knock down the statue of the founder of the capital of Valle del Cauca.

Consequently, the authorities held a press conference from the space where the statue is located in Cali. From there they exhorted citizens to build a conversation to re-signify the Belalcázar monument.

Also read: What is behind the demolition of the statue of Sebastián de Belalcázar in Popayán?

For Lenis, a debate should be raised “about whether or not (the statue) should remain, given that some citizens demand spaces of representation where they do not feel included.”

The Secretary of Culture even raised the possibility of moving the monument to a memory center based on the analysis produced by the citizen discussion.

He also considered the option of locating new monuments around the questioned statue, “that make a more diverse environment.”

You may be interested in this opinion column: Tumbar a Sebastián?

On the white cloth that covers the statue, some messages were written like “collective memory”, “truth”, “ethnicity”, “culture” and “no more racism”.

Regarding the presumed acts of vandalism that are being called against the statue in Cali, the Secretary of Security and Justice, Carlos Rojas, stated that “many people who have affection for him, surely, will be aware of what happens.”

In different parts of the world, debates are being raised about statues and monuments today, as many consider the actions of exalted characters in the past questionable.