Statue of Lázaro Cárdenas (Madrid) facts for kids
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| Coordinates | 40°28′49″N 3°41′28″W / 40.480228°N 3.691156°W |
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| Location | Parque Norte, Madrid, Spain |
| Designer | Julián Martínez |
| Material | Bronze, granite |
| Height | 3.50 m (statue) |
| Opening date | 16 November 1983 |
| Dedicated to | Lázaro Cárdenas |
The Statue of Lázaro Cárdenas is a special artwork in Madrid, Spain. It stands in the Parque Norte park. This statue honors Lázaro Cárdenas, who was a president of Mexico. He is remembered for helping thousands of Spanish people. These people had to leave their home country during the Spanish Civil War and a difficult time that followed.
Contents
Why the Statue Was Built
This statue is a way to say thank you to Lázaro Cárdenas. He was the Mexican President from 1934 to 1940. During his time, he welcomed about 30,000 Spanish people into Mexico. These people were fleeing the Spanish Civil War and a strict government that came after it.
The idea for this statue was one of the first big decisions. It was made by the new democratic city government of Madrid. This happened after the 1979 city election.
How the Statue Was Paid For
The Ayuntamiento (City Council) paid for the base and structure of the monument. The statue itself was paid for by Spanish people living in Mexico. These were the people who had moved there after the war. They collected so much money that they could afford a full statue. At first, they only planned to make a bust (just the head and shoulders).
The Artist and Design
The person chosen to design the statue was Julián Martínez. He was a Mexican sculptor. Interestingly, he was also a Spanish exile himself. He had moved to Mexico when he was young.
The statue is quite tall, standing 3.5 meters high. It is made of bronze. When it was finished, it turned out to be too big for its first planned spot. That spot was called Plaza del Presidente Cárdenas. So, the City Council decided to place it in the Parque Norte instead.
The statue was cast (made) in Mexico. The Spanish people who had moved to Mexico also paid for the statue to be shipped to Madrid. Architects Joaquín Roldán and Santiago Cubero helped set up the monument.
Unveiling the Statue
The statue was officially revealed on November 16, 1983. Many important people attended the ceremony. These included Enrique Tierno Galván, who was the Mayor of Madrid. Also there was Ramón Aguirre, the head of Mexico City. Lázaro Cárdenas's family was also present. His widow, Amalia Solórzano, and his son, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, attended.
Messages on the Plaques
When the monument was first unveiled, it had two plaques. The first one said: "The people of Madrid, to Lázaro Cárdenas, President of Mexico (from 1934 to 1940)." This showed Madrid's gratitude.
The second plaque read: "The Spanish Republican exile with deep gratitude and recognition to Lázaro Cárdenas, President of Mexico." This plaque was from the Spanish people he had helped.
Later, in October 2005, a new plaque was added. This happened because of a group called the Association of Descendants of the Spanish Exile. The new plaque has a quote about Cárdenas. It says: "father of the Spaniards without homeland and without rights, persecuted by tyranny and disinherited by hate." This quote was from Álvaro de Albornoz when he arrived in Mexico as an exile.
See also
In Spanish: Monumento a Lázaro Cárdenas (Madrid) para niños
