Monument to Mexico

The Monument to Mexico is located in the Plaza de Mexico in Santander, Spain. It was made in honor of the President of Mexico, Benito Pablo Juárez, by the sculptor Enrique Fernández Criach. It represents three human figures that symbolize the three most representative ethnic groups of the country, (white, Indian, mestizo) throwing an eagle, the symbol of Mexico, into the air.

Enrique Criach Fernández studied at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts and was distinguished with the extraordinary Molina Higueras award. He received a grant from the Diputación de Santander and exhibited in Israel, the United States, Greece, Denmark and Germany. In 1981, the Cantabrian Society of Mexico awarded him a gold medal and named him ‘Man of the Year’ and in 1982, in Santander, he was elected ‘Personality of the Year’.

Benito Pablo Juárez served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in 1872 and was the first president of Mexico to be of indigenous origin. Juárez is revered in Mexico as “a preeminent symbol of Mexican nationalism” and his birthday is celebrated as a national public and patriotic holiday in Mexico – he is the only individual Mexican to be so honored.