Kyle Munzenrieder
If something Che Guevara-related happens in America and Miami Cubans don't make a fuss about it, did it even actually happen?
Latest Che Outrage: Too Little, Too Late
Kyle Munzenrieder | May 26, 2009 | 12:34pm
A sculpture has been set up at an entrance at New York's Central Park that bears a slight resemblance to Che Guevera, since November. Except, it's not even Che. It's supposed to represent a Barcelona street performer dressed up as Che as part of a series called "Living Sculptures." The other two works in the series are of a man dressed as a Roman Centurion and a lady dressed as, um, a set of drawers. No public money was used in the creation of the works.
They've been on display for about seven months now, and are scheduled to come down tomorrow. The Che statue hasn't caused much of a stir, but a group of Republican law makers decided to insert some last minute controversy.
Last week, a group of 10 Republicans, including Ileana Diaz-Balart and Mario Diaz-Balart (guess Lincoln was busy) urged NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg to immediately remove the art work.
Here's the thing though: sculptures aren't just movable overnight, and the piece is supposed to come down tomorrow anyway. At this point, with the planned removal, the lawmaker's demand, even if met immediately, would have only made a difference of a few days compared to the months the statue was up. But, hey, I bet Ileana and Mario couldn't pass up the chance to protest something Che related. Too bad they took their damn time.
[Bloomberg: 'Che' Statue Draws Demand for Central Park Removal]
[Naked Politics: New York Che Statue Draws Miami Protest]