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Statue of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara removed in Mexico City
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Fidel Castro, standing in an open vehicle and waving, is surrounded by fellow revolutionaries in military uniforms as they arrive in Havana, Cuba, greeted by a cheering crowd. Che Guevera
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Fidel Castro, standing in an open vehicle and waving, is surrounded by fellow revolutionaries in military uniforms as they arrive in Havana, Cuba, greeted by a cheering crowd.
Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro Fidel Castro on January 1, 1959, waving to a cheering crowd upon his arrival in Havana after dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the island.

Statue of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara removed in Mexico City

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History

ProCon debate: Should historic statues be taken down?

ProCon issue in the news: A statue of communist revolutionaries Fidel Castro and Che Guevara was removed from Tabacalera Park in Mexico City in July 2025 by Alessandra Rojo de la Vega, mayor of the Mexico City municipality Cuauhtémoc.

Che Guevera
Che GueveraRevolutionary Che Guevara played a key role in the Cuban Revolution alongside Fidel Castro.

The statue depicts Castro and Guevara seated on a bench, and it was installed in 2017 to commemorate their 1955 meeting in Mexico City. The two are shown in conversation, planning the Cuban Revolution. The revolution resulted in the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista’s government in Cuba and Castro’s rise to power.

Rojo de la Vega called the Castro and Guevara “murderers,” referencing the many Cubans who were persecuted, jailed, and killed during Castro’s regime, and said, “I understand that there are people who see Fidel and Che as their revolutionary figures, but governing isn’t about choosing which victims to show solidarity to.”

Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum disagreed, calling the statue’s removal “illegal” and “total intolerance.” However, during her time as the head of Mexico City government, the leftist politician removed a plaque commemorating former right-wing Mexican president Gustavo Díaz Ordaz and a monument to Christopher Columbus. Rojo de la Vega noted this point when explaining that she did not expect controversy to arise from the statue’s removal: “I don’t think a dictator is any less of a dictator if they’re from the left, the center or the right.”

Discussion questions

  1. Should historic statues be taken down? Why or why not? Explore the debate here.
  2. Who should decide if statues should be removed? Explain your answer.
  3. Consider statues in your town or city. If you were in charge of keeping or removing them, how would you proceed?

Source

  • James Wagner, “Removal of Castro and Guevara Statues Ignites Outcry in Mexico” (July 26, 2025), nytimes.com