Monumento a los Constructores
| Monumento a los Constructores | |
|---|---|
The monument in 2016 | |
Location | |
| Artist | José Luis Padilla Retana |
| Year | 1995 |
| Medium | Bronze |
| Weight | 8 t (7.9 long tons; 8.8 short tons) |
| Condition | Partly destroyed |
| Location | Morelia |
| 19°41′48.1″N 101°10′6.2″W / 19.696694°N 101.168389°W | |
The Monumento a los Constructores (lit. transl. Builders Monument), also known as the Monumento a los Constructores de la Ciudad (lit. transl. Builders of the City Monument), is a partially destroyed outdoor bronze monument installed along Acueducto Avenue, in the historic center of Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. José Luis Padilla Retana created the artwork and the city unveiled it in May 1995 to honor of those who built the city.
The monument originally depicted four men: a New Spain master builder and friar Antonio de San Miguel behind two Purépecha men, one carving a stone and the other carrying a carved block on his back. By 2020, the Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán (CSIM) began calling for the monument's removal, arguing that it was a racist representation that depicted the subjugation of Indigenous people. However, no agreement was reached with the city government.
In February 2022, multiple CSIM members toppled two of the statues, those depicting the master builder and the friar. Members of the CSIM have stated that they intend to replace the remaining part of the monument with a statue of Tangaxuan II, the last ruler of the Purépecha Empire.