Náquera is a small touristic village located 23 kilometers north of Valencia city. In accordance with The Law of Historical Memory, a Spanish ruling that obligates the removal of anything Francoist from the public square, Náquera has decided to rename one of their streets after my homeland’s new president.
Calle José Antonio out … Calle Barack Obama in!
As a rule, I’m skeptical of any law that encourages the popular amnesia of dark history. Better to have statues and street names as a reminder of a difficult past. Of course, you don’t want a statue which celebrates El Caudillo as some sort of hero, but to remove any reference to him seems like a good intention gone too far.
Then again, I’d be all for a US law that bans naming any monument after G. W. Bush or Dick Cheney. And I’m definitely for anything that ends up with a small Spanish town naming one of its street after Barack Obama!
Situated in the middle a beautiful protected natural park, Náquera boasts a population of just 2000, and offers a great day trip for lovers of nature. According to its website, Náquera is reachable with a Metrobus from the station of Bétera (Metro Line #1).
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