Memórias em Disputa

a trajetória da estátua de Stroessner e os valores do patrimônio dissonante

Abstract

Intended monuments, by materializing official narratives of power, become objects of dispute when their messages clash with evolving social and identity values. This article examines the trajectory of the statue of Alfredo Stroessner, dictator of Paraguay from 1954 to 1989, initially celebrated within the Monumento a La Paz Victoriosa and later re-signified in the artwork Entierro de un (otro) monumento by Carlos Colombino. Drawing on Aloïs Riegl’s theory of heritage values, the analysis explores the meanings attributed to the monument at two crucial moments: its construction in 1979 as a symbol glorifying the Stronista regime, and its removal in 1991, when the statue’s fragments were repurposed to denounce human rights violations committed during the dictatorship. The study engages with concepts of collective, cultural, and political memory, emphasizing the processes of memorializing traumatic histories and the struggles for historical recognition. The statue’s new configuration, installed at the Plaza de los Desaparecidos, transforms the dictator’s figure into a symbol of defeated oppression, while the void left in the original monument signals a deliberate refusal to reinstate his presence. This case illustrates how dissonant heritage mobilizes different value categories over time, serving as a means of confronting symbolic violence and affirming human rights. The Paraguayan experience, which predates recent global monument contestation movements, anticipates contemporary debates on dissonant heritage and public memory. The analysis reinforces the understanding of monuments as dynamic supports for discourses, identities, and political struggles.