Láncara mayor requests removal of José Martí bust in Galicia

The mayor of Láncara, Darío Antonio Piñeiro López, has formally requested the removal of a bust of José Martí located near the birthplace of Ángel Castro, the father of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. The bust was installed on August 13 during celebrations marking the centenary of Fidel Castro's birth.

Piñeiro, a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), stated that the monument has caused “indignation” and “hostility” among local residents. He characterized the presence of the statue not as a diplomatic symbol, but as a “direct insult to the people on the street,” arguing that it revives historical tensions and social division.

The mayor intends to send a formal letter to the Cuban Consul in Galicia, Ingrid Izquierdo Sterling, requesting that the bust be relocated to a consular facility or another appropriate location outside of the municipality to “preserve social harmony.” The bust was donated by the Association of Friendship and Solidarity Láncara-Cuba and is situated near the house, which currently serves as the Galician Emigration Interpretation Center.