A monument to Isabel la Católica in Guatemala City was destroyed by unknown assailants, authorities from the Ministry of Culture and Sports (MCD) and the capital city reported this Saturday.
The sculpture, which is more than 100 years old, and which was in the so-called Isabel la Católica Park, was seriously damaged, as the broken head was left on the ground as well as other cultural pieces.
In a statement, the MCD condemned the destruction of the monument and announced that they filed a complaint for “predation of cultural property”, but without specifying who the lawsuit was against after the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage made an assessment to verify the damage.
That sculpture was protected by Legislative Decree number 26 issued in 1997, that is, the Law for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of the Nation.
At the moment notifications were made to the Institute of Anthropology and History (Idaeh) and the head of the monument was delivered to the capital city for its protection.
According to history, Isabel la Católica Park was inaugurated on October 12, 1915, after Ricardo Pérez, a Spanish subject living in colonial Guatemala, donated the land and hired the artist Antonio Donielli to do a sculpture and praise Queen Elizabeth.
The capital’s municipality also announced that the corresponding analyzes will be carried out to determine the restoration of the sculpture and prevent the loss of a historical legacy.
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