Vandals deface statue of Catholic priest in Santa Fe

On Tuesday, it was noticed by locals in Santa Fe that the statue of Fray Angélico Chávez, which stands outside of the Museum of New Mexico History, was defaced, with the words “1680 Land Back” written on the wall behind the statue and the statue itself covered in red paint.

The vandalism mimics prior hate crimes against Hispanic and Catholic statues in Santa Fe, including the desecration of the obelisk in the Santa Fe Plaza, in which the hate groups The Red Nation and Three Sisters Collective, relished in the sight of. It is unclear if members of the groups are responsible for the vandalism, although their words and actions speak for themselves. 

The vandalism reportedly took place on Monday, the 340th anniversary of the Pueblo Revolt, in which Po’pay killed at least 400 Spaniards, including 21 of the 33 Catholic priests in New Mexico. He stomped on Christianity, claiming, “The God of the Christians is dead,” and saying, “He was made of rotten wood.” The graffiti was removed by a state crew Tuesday morning.

Past president at the Caballeros De Vargas, Thomas Baca Gutierrez wrote on Facebook about the latest incident, “It’s so sad to see people disrespecting our beautiful city. Not a single one of us is responsible for what happened in the past. We got through it and we are all here because of it. Like it or not most, if not all of us Nuevo Mejicanós have Spanish and Native blood. We should be proud of who we are and of those who fought, suffered, and died to ensure that we as a people survived along with our traditions and religion. There is no need to fight or be disrespectful to anyone, their culture, traditions or beliefs, we are all brothers and sisters who share the same damn blood, and often the same families.

This Land is not yours or mine, but all of ours and it was loaned to us by God, Our Creator and we are here to enjoy, love, and care for it and one another, then when we are done we return back into it. ‘Remember You are Dust and to Dust You Shall Return.’” 

In June, Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber unilaterally ordered the removal of the Don Diego De Vargas statue from Cathedral Park in Santa Fe. The Red Nation hate group recently held an anti-Semitic rally in Albuquerque supporting Hezbollah-linked terrorist groups.

To sign the petition against the removal of these historic Spanish landmarks, click here.