The decision announced by President Luis Lacalle Pou to transform the bronze eagle of the graff spee in a dove of peace generated various reactions for and against as it is a symbol of Nazism, but also “a historical piece”.
Among those who demonstrated against it appears Senator Guido Manini Rios, leader of Cabildo Abierto (CA), who recalled that in 2017 he proposed to the then Defense Minister Jorge Menendez, “that the eagle be added to the Graf Spee museum in Sarandí del Yi and that It doesn’t promote Nazism at all.”.
For Manini Ríos, show the eagle “would be a tourist attraction” and it would benefit the locality, ruling out the idea that this promotes Nazism. “We are still on time…”, the legislator sentenced through his social networks, who said that he will present a bill to prevent the destruction of the eagle.
For his part, he history teacher Diego Delgrossi considered that the decision of Lacalle Pou “It is an anti-historical nonsense, not to say nonsense.” He pointed out that the eagle “is a historical piece, unique in its kind” and, against the accusations of its origin, he said: “It represents what it represents and must be preserved that way.”
Among the voices in favor was the current Defense Minister Javier Garcia who considered that it is “a piece that represents the inhumane and the Nazi barbarism”, while he also spoke of the “extermination of millions of lives, it will be transformed into a sign of peace between people and nations.” “So that an eternal memory emerges from pain and never happens again. A thoughtful government decision and the art of Pablo Atchugarry, together, for peace”, said García.
The nationalist senator spoke in the same direction Sebastian da Silva. “It would be an offense to many Uruguayans who suffered from the Holocaust,” he argued against the possibility of exhibiting the piece in a museum. And he noted: “That eagle was the symbol of death.”
The transformation of the eagle into a symbol of peace
The bronze eagle of the Graf Spee, which today is the final property of the Uruguayan State, will be transformed into a dove by him sculptor Pablo Atchugarry, as announced by Lacalle Pou last Friday, who insisted that the objective is to demonstrate that “we are a peaceful society”.
This is an important artistic project that, in the words of the president, seeks “transform a symbol of violence and war into a symbol of peace and union”. Atchugarry will work on an honorary basis on the work, which would be completed in November.
The eagle is made of bronze and has its wings spread and the Nazi swastika in its claws. It measures 2.8 meters long by 2 meters high, weighs 350 kilos and was recovered by private rescuers in 2006 from the Río de la Plata. There he participated in the battle of December 13, 1939 and, since 2022, following a ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice, it is property of the State.
Source: Ambito
