Puerto Rican news outlets scrambled to cover the toppling of the Juan Ponce de León statue in Old San Juan, which is located next to San José Church, the second-oldest church in the Americas. The toppling, which occured sometime in the hours of the evening of January 23 or morning of January 24, was the first statue removal as an act of protest that has taken place in Puerto Rico. It occurred just hours before the King of Spain, Felipe VI, was set to arrive in San Juan to help celebrate the 500th anniversary of the foundation of the city of San Juan. To learn more about how Puerto Rican press outlets reported on the events, and how the toppling was interpreted by various sectors in the island, see the pages below.
Primera Hora. (24 Jan 2022). Derriban estatua de Juan Ponce de León en el Viejo San Juan. El Nuevo Día. (24 Jan 2022). Derriban estatua de Juan Ponce de León en el Viejo San Juan. Article by: Alex Figueroa Cancel. El Nuevo Día. (24 Jan 2022). Revelan que la estatua de Juan Ponce de León fue derribada por unas personas que usaron “una soga y un tipo de polea”. Article by: Alex Figueroa Cancel.