Statue of Heydar Aliyev, Mexico City

The statue of Heydar Aliyev[A] is a bronze sculpture of the third president of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev (1923–2003). It was originally installed along Paseo de la Reforma, in Chapultepec, Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City.

Statue of Heydar Aliyev
Spanish: Estatua de Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijani: Heydər Əliyevin heykəli
The statue in 2012
Statue of Heydar Aliyev
Former location in Mexico City
MediumBronze
SubjectHeydar Aliyev
Dimensions3.60 m (11.81 ft)
ConditionNot in public display
LocationMexico City, Mexico
Coordinates19.4242°N 99.1794°W / 19.4242; -99.1794

In the early 2010s, the embassy of Azerbaijan in Mexico donated two statues to the city: the first being the statue of Aliyev, installed on 22 August 2012 in Mexico-Azerbaijan Friendship Park, in the limits of Chapultepec; the second, a woman mourning the Khojaly massacre, was placed in Tlaxcoaque Plaza, in the historic center of the city. According to Ilgar Mukhtarov, Azerbaijan Ambassador to Mexico, both statues were given to the country to show appreciation for being one of the first to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan.[1]

After its installation, the statue of Aliyev received protests from neighbors and human rights activists, who called it "disrespectful and insensitive" due to his controversial political background; the Azeri community, however, supported the installation. On 26 January 2013, the government of Mexico City removed the statue and returned it to the embassy. Since then, the location and status of the statue is not publicly known.

Background
Main article: Azerbaijan–Mexico relations
Heydar Aliyev c. 2000

Heydar Aliyev was an Azerbaijani politician. From 1969 to 1982, he was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan. In 1992, Abulfaz Elchibey was elected president, becoming the country's first non-communist leader. However, after a coup d'état the following year, Elchibey was overthrown.[2] Aliyev, founder and then-leader of the New Azerbaijan Party,[3] took position as acting president, and months later he was officially elected as president of Azerbaijan. Aliyev was re-elected in 1998 and died in 2003.[2]

Although Heydarism became significant for the national politics and Azeri society, Aliyev has been criticized internationally, being described as an "iron fist" leader,[4] "dictator",[5] and "authoritarian".[6]

In December 1991, Mexico recognized the independence of Azerbaijan from the Soviet Union and diplomatic relations were established the following month. In 2009, Azerbaijan established diplomatic missions in Mexican soil.[7] In 2011, the Mexican Senate recognized the 1992 Khojaly massacre, where ethnic Azerbaijani civilians were killed in Khojaly, in the de facto independent Republic of Artsakh, by Armenian forces.[8]

Description and installation

According to Ilgar Mukhtarov, Azerbaijan Ambassador to Mexico, negotiations for the project began in 2008, but it was until 2010 that they were materialized. He also said the project was a way to show appreciation to Mexico for being one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan.[1] On 13 July 2011, both nations signed an agreement to start a project.[9] In the same month, it was endorsed by the Citizens' Governing Council of Chapultepec Park (Spanish: Consejo Rector Ciudadano del Bosque de Chapultepec; CRC).[10]

The accorded space was named "Mexico-Azerbaijan Friendship Park" (Spanish: Parque de la Amistad México-Azerbaiyán),[11] located along Paseo de la Reforma, at the edge of Chapultepec,[12] the area measures 1,700 square meters (18,298 sq ft), illuminated with solar street lights.[10] Construction began in April 2012.[10] The statue was donated by the embassy of Azerbaijan in Mexico,[10] measures 3.60 meters (around 11.81 feet),[13] and was transported by ship from Azerbaijan.[10]

On 22 August 2012, Marcelo Ebrard, then-head of government of Mexico City, inaugurated the project.[1] Tracy Wilkinson of Los Angeles Times described the memorial as "Aliyev [sitting] on a white marble pedestal [with] his name embossed in golden letters", and placed "in front of a jagged stone map of Azerbaijan";[14] the latter is almost eight meters high (up to 26 ft).[11] Also, Will Grant of BBC News described a plaque calling Aliyev "a great politician and statesman".[15]

Khojaly massacre memorial
The embassy of Azerbaijan in Mexico donated the statue in Tlaxcoaque Plaza (pictured in 2012)

Additionally, the embassy donated a second statue. It measures 3.60 m (11.81 ft)[16] and features a woman with her arms up mourning the 1992 Khojaly massacre, as described by The Moscow Times.[17] The statue was installed in the Tlaxcoaque Plaza,[18] in the Mexico City's historic center.[19] There is also a plaque calling the massacre a "genocide".[20] The embassy also donated around 65 million Mexican pesos[21] (around five to six million US dollars)[12][15][B] which were used to improve Friendship Park and Tlaxcoaque Plaza.[15] According to Mukhtarov, the embassy never gave money directly to the city but paid to private construction companies for the improvement of the areas.[15]

Reception
See also: Armenia–Mexico relations and Armenia–Azerbaijan relations

By November 2011, after researching Aliyev further,[12] the CRC withdrew their endorsement and requested the government of the city to reconsider the installation of the statue.[22] According to Denise Dresser, Mexican writer and former member of the CRC, "[after requesting them to reconsider it,] they thought we were making a mountain out of a molehill [...] They were clueless and they were ignorant, and we alerted them to the fact that they were clueless and ignorant."[12]

Controversy started by early September 2012.[20] On 27 September, Chapultepec neighbors protested the installation, calling the statue "disrespectful and insensitive".[23] The National Human Rights Commission recommended its removal.[24] Elnur Majidli, organizer of the 2011 Azerbaijani protests, criticized the installation,[9] saying that corruption was involved "necessarily" in the project.[23] Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, working as Mexico City's international affairs coordinator, said that "The statue of Mr. Aliyev does not honor Mexico City, and Mexico City does not have any reason to honor him".[25]

In October, Eduard Nalbandyan, then-Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, complained to Patricia Espinosa, then-Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, about the statue of Aliyev and the classification of the Khojaly massacre as "genocide" against the position taken by the OSCE Minsk Group.[9] As of September 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan have no diplomatic relations and are in the middle of a geopolitical conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.[26]

Mukhtarov said the information concerning Aliyev was "erroneous and manipulated by the Armenian opposition",[23] as Aliyev "abolished capital punishment and promoted policies that improved Azerbaijan's economy".[27] On 27 November 2012, 30 Azeri prostestors based in Mexico requested the statue to be kept.[28]

Removal
Former location of the statue in 2018, showing the stone map of Azerbaijan still standing in the park.

On 22 October, to determine the future of the statue, a special commission was created.[23] In January 2013, the group recommended removal.[25] Five months after its installation,[29] sculpture was removed by Mexico City authorities during the early morning of 26 January.[25] The city had previously signed an agreement to keep the statue in place for 99 years.[30][31] It was transported to a warehouse of the Urban Development and Housing Secretariat, located in Camarones Avenue and Eloudy street,[23] colonia Del Recreo in the Azcapotzalco borough.[25] Joshua Kucera described the place as "strewn with debris and stacks of bricks" calling it a "ignominious fate" for Aliyev.[20]

Manuel Luna, private secretary of Mukhtarov, said the embassy of Azerbaijan was never notified about the removal.[23] The embassy requested the government of the city to give them back the statue.[32] Salvador Campos, former Mexico Ambassador to Azerbaijan and Turkey, considered the problem was that the government of Mexico City never consulted the Secretary of Foreign Affairs.[9] As a consequence, Azerbaijan withdrew 3.8 billion US dollars of investment that would be used for building oil refineries and for improving public spaces in Mexico.[27]

As of November 2013, the statue was placed in a private home in colonia Lomas de Chapultepec.[27] In January 2015, the government of Mexico City donated the embassy of Azerbaijan a property along Paseo de la Reforma, in Lomas de Chapultepec.[33][34]

Notes
  • A ^ Spanish: Estatua de Heydar Aliyev; Azerbaijani: Heydər Əliyevin heykəli.
  • B ^ Other sources say the investment was from 40 to 100 million pesos (between 3 to 10 million US dollars).[25][35]

References
  1. Grant, Will; Hernández Pasten, Alan (3 October 2012). "La estatua azerí que causa controversia en México" [The Azeri statue that causes controversy in Mexico]. BBC News (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  2. Brennan, Dan (15 December 2003). "Heydar Aliev". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 May 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  3. Aliyev, Ilham (16 November 2012). "Yeni Azərbaycan Partiyasının yaradılmasının 20 illiyinə həsr olunmuş təntənəli mərasimdə İlham Əliyevin nitqi" [Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the solemn ceremony dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the New Azerbaijan Party] (in Azerbaijani). Presidency of Azerbaijan. Archived from the original on 1 May 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  4. "Azerbaijan profile - Leaders". BBC News. 2 November 2015. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  5. Rueda, Manuel (22 October 2012). "Azerbaijan 'Dictator' Statue Angers Mexico City Residents". ABC News. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  6. Glasser, Susan B. (9 August 2003). "Rise of Leader's Son Sharpens Azerbaijan's Identity Crisis". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  7. "Carpeta de información y análisis para la visita de la delegación del Senado mexicano a la República de Azerbaiyán" [Information and analysis dossier for the visit of the Mexican Senate delegation to the Republic of Azerbaijan] (PDF) (in Spanish). Centro de Estudios Internacionales Gilberto Bosques. Senate of the Republic. 12 January 2014. p. 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  8. "Mexican Senate recognizes Azeris' massacre as genocide". AzerNews. 21 December 2011. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  9. Soní Solchaga, Francisco (2 March 2015). "México y su embrollo caucásico" [Mexico and its Caucasian mess]. Foreign Affairs Latinoamérica. Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  10. Contreras, Cintya (23 October 2012). "Permanece la polémica por estatua de Heydar Aliyev" [Controversy over Heydar Aliyev statue continues]. Excélsior (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  11. Contreras, Cintya (26 June 2012). "México-Azerbaiyán el parque incómodo de Chapultepec" [Mexico-Azerbaijan, the uncomfortable park of Chapultepec]. Excélsior (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  12. Malkin, Elisabeth (12 November 2012). "Statue of a Foreign Autocrat Sits Uneasily With Some". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  13. "GDF retira estatua de Aliyev de Paseo de la Reforma" [The Government of Mexico City removes statue of Aliyev from Paseo de la Reforma] (in Spanish). Aristegui Noticias. 26 January 2013. Archived from the original on 25 July 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  14. Wilkinson, Tracy (19 October 2012). "At Mexico City park, statue of Azerbaijan leader elicits protest". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 5 January 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  15. Grant, Will (3 October 2012). "Mexico row over Azeri leader Heydar Aliyev's statue". BBC News. Archived from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  16. "Los monumentos de Ebrard para Azerbaiyán... en el DF" [Ebrard monuments for Azerbaijan... in Mexico City] (in Spanish). Aristegui Noticias. 17 October 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  17. "Mexico Removes Statute of Azeri Leader". The Moscow Times. Mexico City. 28 January 2013. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  18. Paramaguru, Kharunya (5 October 2012). "Why Is There a Monument to Azerbaijan's Strongman on Mexico's Avenue of Heroes?". Time. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  19. "Plaza Tlaxcoaque" [Tlaxcoaque Plaza] (in Spanish). Comisión de Filmaciones de la Ciudad de México. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  20. Kucera, Joshua (30 January 2013). "Monumental Mistakes: How Azerbaijan botched its effort to win friends and influence people in Mexico City". Slate. Archived from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  21. Castillo, Moises (3 November 2012). "La estatua de Aliyev, reflejo de una masacre" [The statue of Aliyev, a reflection of a massacre]. Siempre!. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  22. "Consejo Rector del Bosque de Chapultepec reta a GDF" [Citizens' Governing Council of Chapultepec Park challenges the Government of Mexico City] (in Spanish). Aristegui Noticias. 23 October 2012. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  23. Ramírez, Kenya (27 January 203). "Buscan otro sitio para el monumento de Heydar Aliyev" [Another site for the Heydar Aliyev monument is searched]. Excélsior (in Spanish). Mexico City. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  24. CNN en Español (20 January 2013). "Derechos Humanos considera "necesario" retirar monumento a Aliyev en el DF" [Human Rights considers "necessary" to remove the monument to Aliyev in Mexico City]. Expansión. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  25. "México: retiran polémica estatua de ex líder de Azerbaiyán" [Mexico: controversial statue of former Azerbaijan leader removed]. BBC News (in Spanish). 26 January 2013. Archived from the original on 15 October 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  26. Weise, Zia; Cienski, Jan; Herszenhorn, David M. (28 September 2020). "The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict explained". Politico. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  27. Ramírez, Kenya (7 November 2013). "Azerbaiyán retira inversión millonaria por polémica estatua de Aliyev" [Azerbaijan withdraws millionaire investment due to controversial Aliyev statue]. Excélsior (in Spanish). Mexico City. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  28. "Comunidad azerí pide al GDF que no quite la estatua" [Azeri community asks the Government of Mexico City not to remove the statue]. La Razón (in Spanish). 27 November 2012. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  29. "Quitan a Heydar Aliyev de Reforma y lo embodegan en Azacapotzalco" [Heydar Aliyev is removed and warehoused in Azcapotzalco] (in Spanish). W Radio. 27 January 2013. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  30. "Heydər Əliyevin Meksikadakı heykəlinin götürülməsi məsələsinə YAP-dan açıqlama" [Statement by the New Azerbaijan Party on the removal of the statue of Heydar Aliyev in Mexico] (in Azerbaijani). AZNews. 29 November 2012. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  31. "Mexico pulls Azerbaijan statue from park". Al Jazeera. 26 January 2013. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  32. "Mexico moves Azeri ruler statue". BBC News. 26 January 2013. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  33. "La historia de la estatua de Heydar Aliyev, continuará..." [The history of the Heydar Aliyev statue will continue...] (in Spanish). Aristegui Noticias. 9 January 2015. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  34. "GDF entrega predio en Reforma a Azerbaiyán" [Government of Mexico City gives property in Reforma to Azerbaijan]. Milenio (in Spanish). Mexico City. 7 January 2015. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  35. "Monumento a ex dictador de Azerbaiyán costó '10 mdd': columnistas de 'La Razón'" [Monument to former dictator of Azerbaijan cost '10 million dollars': columnists of 'La Razón'] (in Spanish). Aristegui Noticias. 29 October 2020. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2020.

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