A statue of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro has been returned to Lima’s main square in the latest twist in the bizarre and insensitive mayorship of Rafael López Aliaga. The bronze statue, which was removed 22 years ago, was unveiled during the 490th birthday celebrations of the city’s founding by the Spanish colonizers who conquered the Incas in 1535.
López Aliaga’s ideas for restoring the historic centre of Peru’s capital city to the viceroyalty of his dreams has included suggesting that (mainly Indigenous) women selling traditional herbal teas on the street should dress up in colonial-era costume. Attending the celebrations alongside López Aliaga – a millionaire businessman and fan of Spain’s far-right Vox party – were descendants of Pizarro as well as Madrid’s regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso.
