Bench of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara

{{Infobox monument

| name = Bench of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara

| native_name = {{lang|es|Monumento Encuentro}}
{{lang|es|Banca de Fidel Castro y el "Che" Guevara}}
{{lang|es|Estatuas de Fidel Castro y el "Che" Guevara}}

| image = Monumento Encuentro (2022).jpg

| image_size = 300px

| alt =

| caption = The sculptures in 2022. The white paint poured over them in 2021 can still be seen on the floor.

| location = Mexico City, Mexico

| designer = Óscar Ponzanelli

| type =

| material = Bronze

| length =

| width =

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| weight = {{cvt|250|kg}}

| visitors_num =

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| begin = 2017

| complete =

| dedicated =

| open =

| restore =

| dismantled =

| dedicated_to = Fidel Castro and Che Guevara

| map_name =

| map_text =

| mapframe = yes

| mapframe-zoom = 15

| mapframe-caption = Location

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| coordinates = {{coord|19.4377|N|99.1522|W|region:MX-DIF_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

}}

The Monumento Encuentro ({{trans|literal=yes|Monument Encounter}}) refers to two bronze statues seated on a bench in Colonia Tabacalera, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, designed by Óscar Ponzanelli in 2017. Otherwise known as the bench of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara and the statues of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, the artwork features sitting statues of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, major figures of the Cuban Revolution (1953–1959). The monument references the first time both met in 1955 in Tabacalera.

Background and history

File:CheyFidel.jpg

Fidel Castro and Che Guevara first met in June 1955 in Colonia Tabacalera, in Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, where both agreed to cooperate in the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista, then dictator and president of Cuba.{{cite web|url=https://noticieros.televisa.com/sin-categoria/tabacalera-colonia-donde-se-conocieron-fidel-castro-che/|title=La Tabacalera, colonia donde se conocieron Fidel Castro y el Che|date=28 November 2016|work=Noticieros Televisa|language=es|trans-title=Tabacalera, colonia where Fidel Castro and Che met|access-date=25 September 2021}} The statue was inaugurated by Ricardo Monreal on 2 December 2017 behind the San Carlos National Museum,{{cite web|url=https://www.excelsior.com.mx/comunidad/2017/12/02/1205122|title=Retoman charla Fidel y 'Che' Guevara en la colonia Tabacalera|language=es|trans-title=Fidel and 'Che' Guevara resume talks in the Tabacalera neighborhood|work=Excélsior|date=2 December 2017|first=Arturo|last=Páramo|access-date=25 September 2021}} a few blocks from where they met. A few weeks later, the bench was removed as it was placed without authorization of the Committee for Monuments and Artistic Works in Public Spaces ({{lang|es|Comité de Monumentos y Obras Artísticas en Espacios Públicos}}, COMAEP).{{cite web|url=https://diariodecuba.com/internacional/1603447148_25890.html|title=Las reubicadas estatuas de Fidel Castro y el Che en México sufren un intento de robo|trans-title=Relocated statues of Fidel Castro and Che in Mexico suffer theft attempt|language=es|date=23 October 2020|location=Mexico City|work=Diario de Cuba|access-date=25 September 2021}} The monument was reinstalled until 17 October 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.debate.com.mx/cdmx/Recolocan-estatua-de-Fidel-Castro-y-el-Che-Guevara-en-un-parque-de-CDMX-20201019-0091.html|title=Recolocan estatua de Fidel Castro y el Che Guevara en un parque de CDMX|trans-title=Fidel Castro and Che Guevara's statue repositioned|work=Debate|language=es|first=Carlos|last=Narvaes|location=Mexico City|date=19 October 2020|access-date=25 September 2021}}

=Reception=

The statue has received mixed opinions. In 2020, Jorge Triana Tena, a local deputy for the right-wing National Action Party, requested to the Congress of Mexico City their removal as he considered that there was no reason to honor people he described as "murderers, homophobes and racists".{{cite web|url=https://www.explica.co/pan-deputies-request-removal-of-statues-of-fidel-castro-and-che-guevara.html|title=PAN deputies request removal of statues of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara|work=Explica.com|date=15 July 2021|access-date=25 September 2021|location=Mexico City|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925184233/https://www.explica.co/pan-deputies-request-removal-of-statues-of-fidel-castro-and-che-guevara.html}} Congresspeople from the left-wing National Regeneration Movement party, who held the majority of the congress, rejected the proposal.{{cite web|url=https://www.elimparcial.com/mexico/Piden-retirar-estatuas-de-Fidel-Castro-y-de-Ernesto-Che-Guevara-en-la-CDMX-20201023-0033.html|title=Piden retirar estatuas de Fidel Castro y de Ernesto 'Che' Guevara en la CDMX|trans-title=Fidel Castro and Ernesto 'Che' Guevara statues in Mexico City to be removed|work=El Imparcial|language=es|date=23 October 2020|access-date=15 September 2022}} In 2021, Misión Rescate México, a civil society organization, asked to remove the bench as a protest against the political prisoners in Cuba.{{cite web|url=https://www.milenio.com/politica/piden-retirar-estatuas-fidel-castro-che-guevara-cdmx|title=Organización pide retirar estatuas de Fidel Castro y el 'Che' Guevara en la CdMx|trans-title=Organization asks to remove statues of Fidel Castro and 'Che' Guevara in Mexico City|work=Milenio|first=Sandra|last=Rojas|date=17 November 2021|location=Mexico City|access-date=15 September 2022|url-access=registration}} Many locals, however, spoke out in favour of the statue, stating that Fidel Castro and Che Guevara are "icons of the neighbourhood".{{cite web|url=https://www.jornada.com.mx/notas/2021/09/23/politica/llaman-a-mantener-estatua-de-fidel-y-el-che-en-parque-tabacalera/|title=Llaman a mantener estatua de Fidel y el 'Che' en parque Tabacalera|language=es|work=La Jornada|date=23 September 2021|access-date=19 June 2024|first=Elba Mónica|last=Bravo}}

=Vandalism=

Days after its reposition, there was an attempt to steal it. On 22 September 2021, two men poured white paint over both sculptures.{{cite web|url=https://remonews.com/mexicoeng/statue-of-fidel-and-che-vandalized-in-cdmx-in-colonia-tabacalera-there-are-two-inmates/|title=Statue of Fidel and Che vandalized in CDMX, in Colonia Tabacalera; there are two inmates|work=RemoNews|date=22 September 2021|access-date=25 September 2021}}

Description

The bronze statues were created by Óscar Ponzanelli and are placed on a bench owned by the borough. The monument weights {{convert|250|kg|sp=us}} and cost around Mex$600,000.{{cite web|url=https://www.cronica.com.mx/notas-embodegan_escultura_del_che_guevara_y_fidel_castro-1131615-2019|title=Embodegan escultura del Che Guevara y Fidel Castro|first=Reyna|last=Paz Avendaño|date=17 September 2019|work=La Crónica de Hoy|language=es|trans-title=Sculpture of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro warehoused}} Both are seated "in a relaxed manner", Castro holds a cigar in his left hand, while Guevara holds a pipe in his right hand.{{cite web|url=https://www.jornada.com.mx/notas/2021/09/24/capital/repudia-el-gobierno-actos-vandalicos-llama-a-erradicar-expresiones-de-odio/|title=Repudia el gobierno actos vandálicos; llama a erradicar expresiones de odio|trans-title=Government repudiates acts of vandalism; calls for eradication of hate speech|language=es|location=Mexico City|date=24 September 2021|work=La Jornada|first1=Elba Mónica|last1=Bravo|first2=Laura|last2=Gómez Flores|access-date=25 September 2021}}

De Anda compared the faces of Castro and Guevara to those of Santa Claus and Gerardo Fernández Noroña, respectively.{{cite web|url=https://www.maspormas.com/ciudad/banca-del-che-guevara-y-fidel-castro/|title=La plaza más chaira|work=máspormás|trans-title=The most neo-hippie square|language=es|author-link=Tamara De Anda|access-date=25 September 2021|date=7 December 2017|first=Tamara|last=De Anda}}