SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Crews in Santa Fe have removed a statue of a Spanish territorial governor from a city park amid a national debate over the appropriateness of monuments and other markers that recognize historical figures.
The statue of Don Diego de Vargas was taken down Thursday morning ahead of a planned protest. In addition to the de Vargas statue, Mayor Alan Webber is calling for the removal of two other monuments that many Native Americans find offensive.
The mayor also promised to revive a commission that will evaluate every statue and monument in the centuries-old city.