Court Orders Removal of International Brigades Monument

The judiciary has given this deadline to Carrillo to remove a monument that was erected without the Complutense University following proper urban planning procedures for its installation.

The monument was unveiled on October 22, 2011, attended by his father, the recently deceased Santiago Carrillo. The urban planning license was requested (via "communicated procedure") several days later on November 9, an action deemed by the courts as "constituting a fact contrary to law." José Carrillo, rector of the Complutense University, however, never agreed with the court's decision to remove his monument to the brigadists, despite rulings that stated the "procedure or urban planning authorization (as was required)" had been omitted. He appealed the decision.

The Superior Court of Justice of Madrid once again ruled against him a year ago, noting that the improper procedure he had followed to install the sculptural piece was not a matter of "discussion."

Now, once more, the Administrative Court number 22 of Madrid reminds him (the ruling is dated May 21) not only that the action was illegal, but also grants him a ten-day period to remove the monument, erected on an esplanade of the university campus.

The judge thus confirms not only previous rulings that made it very clear that the Rectorate under his direction entirely "bypassed" the procedure, but also that he will have to execute the sentence, despite the fact that, at the time, the Rectorate insisted that the ruling did not require removal of the statue and that, moreover, the 11-M monument installed in the Atocha roundabout also lacks permission.

When inaugurating the sculptural ensemble, Carrillo emphasized several requirements: the monument had public visibility, dignity, and permanence. Regarding the third element, however, Justice does not share the same opinion, which is why it must be removed from public view.

The monolith consists of two parallel steel plates on a concrete base. It measures four meters high by 0.80 meters wide and displays the three-pointed star (symbol of the brigades) with an engraved quote from Dolores Ibárruri, La Pasionaria.

The work was created by a team of professors from the Faculty of Fine Arts, who accepted the commission during the mandate of Carlos Berzosa (predecessor of Carrillo himself) at the head of the Complutense University.

Source: La Gaceta