King Carlos III’s Statue Is Relocated

The statue of King Carlos III, the 18-Century Spanish monarch who has touched off controversy in Los Angeles, was taken off its MacArthur Park pedestal Thursday and moved to El Pueblo de Los Angeles State Historic Park.

Despite objections raised Wednesday by City Council members Richard Alatorre and Gloria Molina, the king’s statue will be re-dedicated at the site, better known as the Olvera Street plaza, Sept. 30 in conjunction with Spanish King Juan Carlos I’s visit to Los Angeles, a spokesman for Mayor Tom Bradley said.

Saying that the statue would be perceived by many Latinos as a symbol of colonial Spanish tyranny, Alatorre and Molina persuaded the council Wednesday to delete $10,000 in funding for the statue relocation. The Spanish government had asked that the statue be moved to historic Olvera Street, noting that King Carlos III had ordered the establishment of the original Los Angeles settlement at that location. King Juan Carlos I had given the statue to the city in 1976 in honor of the U.S. Bicentennial.

After meeting with Molina and an Alatorre aide on Thursday, Pedro Temboury, Spain’s consul general in Los Angeles, said he was confident that King Juan Carlos I would receive a warm, polite reception by city officials.