Statue of Heydar Aliyev, Mexico City
| Statue of Heydar Aliyev | |
|---|---|
| Spanish: Estatua de Heydar Alíyev, Azerbaijani: Heydər Əliyevin heykəli | |
The statue in 2012 | |
Former location in Mexico City | |
| Medium | Bronze |
| Subject | Heydar Aliyev |
| Dimensions | 3.60 m (11.81 ft) |
| Condition | Removed |
| Location | Mexico City, Mexico |
| 19°25′27″N 99°10′46″W / 19.4242°N 99.1794°W | |
The statue of Heydar Aliyev is a bronze sculpture of the third president of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, previously installed along Paseo de la Reforma, in Chapultepec, Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City. It has been removed after drawing mass criticism from human rights activists.
In the early 2010s, the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Mexico donated two statues to the city. The first was the statue of Aliyev, installed on 22 August 2012 in the former Mexico-Azerbaijan Friendship Park in Chapultepec. The second, a woman mourning the Khojaly massacre, was placed in Tlaxcoaque Plaza. According to Ilgar Mukhtarov, Azerbaijan's ambassador to Mexico, both statues were given to the country as a gesture of gratitude to Mexico for being one of the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan's independence.
After its installation, the statue of Aliyev drew criticism from neighbors and human rights activists, who considered it disrespectful and insensitive due to his controversial political background. Members of the Azerbaijani community, however, expressed support for the monument. On 26 January 2013, the government of Mexico City removed the statue and returned it to the Azerbaijani embassy. Since then, the location and status of the statue have not been publicly disclosed.