The national government ordered the demolition of the monument honoring Osvaldo Bayer, located on the side of National Route 3, at the northern entrance to the city of Río Gallegos, capital of the province of Santa Cruz. The act of vandalism occurred today, Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
The structure, inaugurated on March 24, 2023, commemorated the historian and journalist who brought to light the struggle of the 1,500 rural laborers shot by the Army during the Patagonian strikes of 1920 and 1921. The National Highway Administration carried out the destruction with a mechanical shovel and a hydraulic hammer.
The metal sculpture recreating the historian and journalist's face was located on Route 3, a few kilometers from the access road to Río Gallegos. https://t.co/ZzY31oqcuO
The decision to destroy the monument—one day after Memorial Day and during Press Workers' Day—was celebrated by libertarian sectors in Santa Cruz , who considered it a "symbol of Kirchnerist indoctrination." On social media, they justified the measure as part of a process of eliminating what they call "the narrative imposed for years."
The Libertarian administration reportedly argued that the structure "obstructed the view" and "complicated water drainage," but the possibility of moving it to another location was not considered, reinforcing the idea that the decision was intended to convey a strong political message . Official sources from the provincial government, consulted by La Opinión Austral , confirmed, however, that no warning was given to the current Undersecretariat of Human Rights .
The Bayer monument was inaugurated in 2023 by then-governor Alicia Kirchner as part of the National Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice . It followed several years of activism by anarchist and leftist sectors promoting the cause without the concrete and genuine support of the provincial government. The ceremony was attended by relatives of detained-disappeared individuals, those of executed strikers, and the historian's son, Esteban Bayer.
“It is a big hug to Osvaldo, as well as to the 1,500 executed workers, the 30,000 disappeared, and the exiles,” Esteban Bayer said on that occasion.
The structure was located on the Paseo de la Memoria , within the gardens of the Río Gallegos Cultural Complex. The site served as a space for reflection on the social struggles of Patagonia and the violence perpetrated by the state at various times in Argentine history.
The removal of the Bayer monument is not an isolated incident. In different parts of the country, the government has pushed for the removal of symbols it considers linked to Kirchnerism and memory policies. In the case of Ushuaia, it has removed the sign under the original name of Lake Acigami in Tierra del Fuego National Park and replaced it with the Roca sign. It also violates inclusive language.
One of the arguments used by those celebrating the demolition was the presence of a sign with the word "Welcome," in inclusive language, attached to the structure. For libertarian groups, this was an example of what they considered an "ideological imposition in public space."
However, the measure sparked a debate about the role of the State in preserving historical memory and respecting key figures in the fight for human rights.
From the social networks of ElDiario Santa Cruz, a media outlet whose owner is said to be very close to Javier Milei, they justified the demolition: “The cleansing of Kirchnerist indoctrination is advancing in the country, and this time it has affected a symbol of the story imposed for years,” they indicated, ignoring the ideological differences between Osvaldo Bayer and Kirchnerist Peronism .
The Santa Cruz government condemned the demolition of the Osvaldo Bayer monument and demanded explanations .
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