There is half an hour left before the gray car of Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida stops short on Paseo de La Castellana.
Three middle-aged legionnaires with green caps and bare chests – where curly, black and white hair flutters in spurts – stand at number 80 on one of the main streets of the capital.
There is a huge expectation.
Spanish flags everywhere.
Bracelets from Spain on the wrists, on the cell phone covers, on the back like superheroes, pins on the lapels.
Also two or three flags of the thirds ―mast in hand― move to the sound of a timid November wind from the capital.
Around 300 people from Madrid surround a huge statue of a legionnaire from 1921 with a bayonet in hand, almost three meters high and weighing 600 kilos, which is about to be inaugurated in the capital.
Suddenly, a policeman interrupts these three legionnaires who are wandering around La Castellana bare-chested.
The police don't beat around the bush.
Security prevails over greetings:
“Gentlemen, it is authority.
The authority was a councilor of Ciudadanos.
Ciudadanos is still capable of cutting the traffic of an entire capital of Spain.
Who knows if their presence here is the last gesture necessary to be called up by the popular.
Arturo López, a septuagenarian from Madrid who was assigned to the Legion in 1975, walks slowly through the crowd.
He has come this afternoon to glimpse live the statue that the Army Museum Foundation has donated to the Madrid City Council.
“I am proud because Madrid knows how to recognize the values of the Legion: love for Spain, the Armed Forces and all Spaniards”.
On the fence that cuts off access to the bronze statue, and where the PP councilors are gradually placing themselves, two women ask the crowd for a photo: “Let the monument look good!”
"How is the country?"
“The country is regular.
No one from the government has come so they don't get booed.
The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, participates in the inauguration. JUAN BARBOSA
It's true.
No sign of Defense Minister Margarita Robles.
Nor the Chief of Defense Staff.
Yes, there is Enrique Millán, division general.
Almeida arrives.
He greets the military present.
The mayor goes straight to the statue, from which hangs a huge blue cloak.
There are protocol doubts:
"What is there to do? Pull down?"
Effectively.
A man yells when the badge is revealed: “Long live the Legion!”
The public responds: "Long live!"
The man continues: "Long live Spain!"
People respond fiercely: "Long live!"
A voice comes out of the speakers.
Put a little order.
Announces the presence of the sculptor Salvador Amaya.
Amaya sculpted the work of the legionnaire in bronze from a sketch by the battle painter Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau.
"It has been an honor," Amaya admits to those present.
"I wanted the spirit of all of them to be seen and a tribute to the 10,000 fallen".
The sculpture of the legionnaire, according to its creator, is a tribute to the veteran soldier of 1921, just one year after the creation of the Legion.
The idea of the Army Foundation, which is the one that has financed the work through 700 collaborations that have led to a collection of 50,000 euros, was that it be installed in the Plaza de Oriente, as
eldiario.es
advanced a year ago.
Finally, the chosen place has been number 80 of the Castellana, a few meters from the commemorative monument of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 and the General Headquarters of the Defense Staff.
Several soldiers salute before the new statue.
JOHN BARBOSA
After the words of the sculptor Amaya, the mayor of Madrid approaches the microphone.
He takes the speech out of his pocket.
"It's an extraordinary sculpture," he says.
“We are all aware that there are no Legion barracks in Madrid, but that does not mean that in Madrid for a long time tribute of admiration has also been paid to the Legion, and these recognitions are throughout the city of Madrid : the Tercio neighborhood in the Carabanchel district”, he points out.
“Or the street dedicated to the founder of the Legion, General Millán-Astray”.
The audience interrupts the speech with applause.
Almeida performs this praise knowing the political connotation that it entails.
Since 2017, Millán-Astray street in Madrid has been called Justa Freire, a woman who was a pioneer in Spanish education and who suffered reprisals during the dictatorship.
Almeida ordered the change of this street to its original name on August 24, 2021, following a ruling by the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid.
Could the name of Justa Freire have been kept?
Yes. In fact, the ordinance that regulates name changes in Madrid is very clear.
The Government team and the District Boards of each neighborhood can propose the change of name of any Madrid road.
Moreover, during these two years of Government of PP and Citizens, a square and two streets that previously had other names have been changed.
After Almeida's speech, the Spanish anthem sounds in the center of the capital.
At the end, a man shouts: "Mayor, you have to take good
care
of him ."
A man protests: “And the hymn of the Legion?
It's awesome."
Those present begin to sing it a cappella, while Almeida takes selfies and a man, who says his name is Fermín, stands in front of the statue and raises with his right arm and high up a page that has the photo of Millán-Astray printed on it. next to a phrase: “Long live death.
Death to intelligence."
The image of Millán-Astray printed by Fermín, on the spot.
JOHN BARBOSA
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