The artist Teresa Rabal has issued a strong statement following the rectification of the Alpedrete City Council regarding the controversy generated by the change of names of the spaces dedicated to her parents, the iconic actors Paco Rabal and Asunción Balaguer. After weeks of tension and protests, the City Council decided to reverse its decision to eliminate the names of local street artists.
“It has been a beating, but tremendously exciting,” said Rabal when describing the almost three weeks that have passed since the name change of the square and the House of Culture dedicated to his parents was announced. The daughter of the artists thanked the broad support received both locally and nationally, highlighting the solidarity expressed by the Alpedrete community and various sectors of society: “Thank you for your support,” she published on social networks.
“A great triumph of reason and the world of culture. May Paco Rabal and Asunción Balaguer live forever, eternal examples of talent, artistic and human commitment. We will go to Alpedrete to celebrate the restitution of what should never have been suppressed,” the artist shared a tweet from the AISGE (Performing Artists, Intellectual Property Rights Management Entity).
In relation to the intervention of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, president of the Community of Madrid, Rabal revealed that Ayuso contacted her personally before publishing her tweet rejecting the decision of the mayor of Alpedrete. “She said that she was outraged and that she had given the mayor some time for reflection,” explained the actress, pointing out that Ayuso’s position was fundamental to reversing the situation.
The mayor of Alpedrete, Juan Rodríguez Fernández-Alfaro, of the PP, stated that the rectification was a “matter of rectification”, although he maintained that he did not regret having removed the plaques with the names of the artists. “The important thing is that the names return to their places. And that this is a turning point for the world of culture,” defended Rabal, highlighting the importance of respect for historical and cultural memory.
Teresa Rabal concluded by highlighting that this rectification marks a turning point in the defense of culture and historical memory, emphasizing that “culture can never be censored, it is above ideology.”
