Some monuments go unnoticed until they are no longer in their place. That is what happened with the group dedicated to former president José Figueres Ferrer, known as Pepe Figueres, in Plaza de la Democracia, in San José. The Ministry of Culture and Youth decided to remove it for restoration after the damage it allegedly suffered during recent protests, according to the ministry. The decision has opened a political debate that goes beyond the statue: it touches on how public heritage is protected in spaces where citizens also demonstrate.
This article does not repeat the chronology of each report. We review what is known for certain, where the media differ, how bronze restoration works, and which questions remain open.
What Happened, According to the Sources
According to La Nación, the removal was carried out with the support of staff from the Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz (CNFL), at the ministry’s request. Delfino.cr, citing a statement from the institution, reported that the pieces were transferred to the José Fabio Góngora headquarters of the Museo Nacional, in Pavas, where specialists will carry out conservation and restoration. The same outlet noted that the procedure had the technical input of the Museo Nacional architect who designed the group’s bases.
The origin of the damage also appears in the sources. According to La Nación, during the education march on October 20, the monument’s base was marked with black paint. Later, on November 2, during an encampment in defense of public education set up in the plaza, photographs circulated of people in hoods marking the work. The minister, Jorge Rodríguez, stated that criminal complaints had been filed and that the institution will ask those responsible to pay for the restoration once they are identified. La Nación estimated the cost of the initial cleaning work at ¢1 million.
There is an important detail: the outlet itself reports that students at the encampment said they had called the Fuerza Pública (national police) to report the incidents and that they distanced themselves from the damage. This version has not been confirmed by the authorities in the reports consulted, so it should be read as a position, not as a proven fact.
Two Readings of the Same Decision
The political reaction was immediate. According to La Nación, the parliamentary leader of the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN), Álvaro Ramírez, criticized the removal with a phrase that echoed across several headlines: he compared it to a “dictator’s manual” and said that “this is how dictatorships begin.” He also announced that he will ask the minister for explanations and demanded that the sculpture return to the plaza once restored. The party’s secretary general, Miguel Guillén, according to El Mundo CR, accused the government of trying to “erase” Figueres’s presence from that space.
From the ministry’s side, the explanation is different. In a statement cited by Delfino.cr, the institution argued that the right to demonstrate does not justify damage to public heritage and that the work will remain protected until its safety is guaranteed. The minister used an expression that several outlets picked up: according to La Nación, he said that “the toys have to be taken away from the vandals.”
Both positions appear in the sources, and it is worth presenting them as they are stated. For the opposition, the decision has a symbolic component and concerns historical memory. For the ministry, it is a technical and protective measure. None of the reports consulted includes an independent assessment that settles which of the two readings prevails.
Why a Sculpture Is Removed to Be Restored
Moving a bronze piece is not a minor decision, but it is not unusual when damage requires workshop treatment. Outdoor metal works tend to accumulate dirt, oxidation, and pollutants, and the patina, the surface layer that protects the metal and gives it its color, can be damaged if cleaning is done with inappropriate methods or products. For this reason, the conservation of public bronzes is generally carried out in controlled settings, by specialized staff.
According to La Nación, the minister explained that complete removal is necessary to restore the bronze, whose surface shows progressive deterioration caused by the materials used to mark it. Working in a workshop makes it possible to assess each piece, document the damage, and apply treatments without the pressure of the elements or further interventions in the plaza. This technical logic is what the ministry invokes, and it is distinct from the discussion about where the work should stand.
Here the central question arises: what happens next? The sources agree that the restoration will take time, but they differ on what follows. The ministry said the work will not return immediately after restoration and will remain in the custody of the Museo Nacional until there are guarantees against new attacks. The PLN demands that it return to the plaza. This point carries the most weight in the debate.
What Is Still Unknown
The reports do not specify how long the process will last. Delfino.cr mentions “several months,” and La Nación indicates that the ministry has not yet defined how long the sculpture will remain outside the plaza. It is also unclear whether the total cost of the restoration will be borne by those responsible, who have not yet been identified, or by the State in the meantime. Criminal complaints remain ongoing, according to the official statement.
Another gap concerns the scope of the removal. Some reports refer to a sculpture of Figueres; others mention a group that includes the work “La Abolición del Ejército” by the artist Marisel Jiménez. For readers, the difference matters: removing a single figure is not the same as removing a complete group. Until the ministry publishes an inventory of the pieces, that figure should be treated with caution.
Finally, the conflict is not only about one statue. It raises the question of how two rights that the ministry itself mentions in its statements are balanced: the right to demonstrate and the right to protect shared heritage. How that balance is resolved, in the plaza and in the courts, will set a precedent for other public spaces.
Key Takeaways
- The Ministry of Culture and Youth removed the sculptural group dedicated to José Figueres from Plaza de la Democracia to restore it after paint damage.
- According to the sources, the damage occurred during the October 20 march and a November 2 encampment. Criminal complaints are ongoing.
- The PLN strongly criticized the measure and demands that the work return to the plaza; the ministry says it will not return immediately.
- The sources do not agree on the scope of the removal or the name of the work, and they do not specify how long the restoration will take.
- The key missing information is the inventory of pieces, the restoration timeline, and the identification of those responsible.
Santé Press Contribution
Reading Keys
- Two levels of debate: the technical (how to conserve damaged bronze) and the symbolic (what it means to move a monument dedicated to a historical figure). Separating them helps avoid mixing arguments.
- The right to demonstrate and the protection of heritage appear in the discourse of both sides, though with different emphasis. It is worth noting which right each side puts first.
What to Watch
- The official inventory of pieces and whether the work is a single statue or a group.
News Sources
- La Nación (CR): Álvaro Ramírez arremete contra ministro de Cultura por retiro de escultura de José Figueres: ‘Así es como comienzan las dictaduras’
- Delfino.cr: Ministerio de Cultura justifica retiro de esculturas de José Figueres en Plaza de la Democracia por actos de vandalismo
- El Mundo CR: Ministerio de Cultura retira esculturas de José Figueres Ferrer de la Plaza de la Democracia por actos vandálicos
- El Mundo CR: Secretario PLN denuncia que el Gobierno intenta “borrar” la presencia de Pepe Figueres de la Plaza de la Democracia
- La Nación (CR): Ministro de Cultura ordena retirar escultura de José Figueres de la Plaza de la Democracia tras manifestaciones: ‘Hay que quitarles el juguete a los vándalos’