El Campello pushes for Rafael Altamira repatriation
Government leaders in Valencia are backing El Campello Town Hall’s effort to repatriate the remains of Rafael Altamira, a renowned humanist born in Alicante, from Mexico to the coastal town. The cultural heritage item sits in a local library, a symbol of the area’s deep connection to Altamira and the community’s memory of his legacy.
Both the regional president and the Valencian Cultural Council expressed approval for the initiative. The mayor, Juanjo Berenguer, working closely with Altamira’s family, has coordinated with the Generalitat, the State Council, the Mexican Embassy, and Spain’s central government to advance talks with Mexico and the Foreign Affairs and Culture ministries. The goal is a respectful and timely return of Altamira’s remains to Spanish soil.
The Generalitat’s president emphasized that achieving this aim requires careful coordination and a strong cultural and historical rationale. He described the repatriation as a dream come true and a poetic act of justice, delivered during the Valencian Cultural Council plenary session to honor Joaquín Santo, Alicante’s historian and former director of the Juan Gil-Albert Institute of Culture, who passed away last November. The City Council intends to bring Altamira’s remains home, recognizing his role as a key figure in Spanish and international jurist circles. Altamira was repeatedly nominated for Nobel Peace Prize consideration and received honorary doctorates from several prestigious universities, including Bordeaux, Paris, Mexico, Santiago de Chile, Lima, Columbia, and Cambridge.
The plenary also marked the opening of a commemorative plate at the library, where descendants Ignacio and Javier Ramos presented Puig with a leather catalog from the International Congress of Rafael Altamira held in Alicante in 1987. The moment was deeply emotional for his relatives, including his widow Maria Jose Kaparowhich, who drew abundant support from attendees and councilors alike. Santo’s contributions extended beyond academia, serving as an adviser to Valencian Courts and directing the Alicante-based Juan Gil-Albert Institute of Culture, with ongoing collaborations with national media. The committee highlighted that the plenary’s El Campello venue was chosen at the mayor’s invitation and Santo’s insistence on a face-to-face gathering there.
Councilors from the Campello municipality and neighboring towns took part. The Mutxamel and Busot mayors joined in, along with several council delegates and local leaders. The regional leadership pledged full support and stressed that the UN and both Spanish and Mexican governments should assist in this diplomatic endeavor, underscoring the importance of Altamira’s figure for both nations.
In addressing the history of Altamira, Puig recalled Santo’s career at a time when dialogue often gives way to monologue. He described Santo as a worthy advocate for conversation and recognition within a society that values reasoned debate. Puig argued that Altamira’s legacy remains a beacon for justice, education, and peaceful coexistence, values that should guide contemporary memory and policy. The president reminded the audience that significant social progress comes from choosing humility, reasoned doubt, and respectful dialogue over absolutist claims. Fewer flames and more agora, he urged, to keep Altamira’s spirit alive through discourse.
Puig also highlighted Altamira’s question to his country: what have you done today to improve it? The reply, he suggested, should be a shared commitment to a better, more educated, and freer society that honors the law and human dignity. He quoted familiar phrases to illustrate how a culture of service to the common good defines a strong nation. The idea is to portray El Campello as a country that honors Rafael Altamira by giving him a resting place worthy of his legacy.
Dolors Pedros, vice president of CVC, spoke about Altamira’s repatriation as an honorable national project supported by the City Council and the Valencian Cultural Council. The group reaffirmed their determination to defend Altamira’s legacy and to pursue every available avenue to make the repatriation a reality. The 2020 visit by the Historical Heritage Commission to La Illeta dels Banyets, just days before the pandemic, was cited as a turning point that demonstrated broad local enthusiasm when the plenary moved to El Campello and received unanimous backing for the Altamira initiative.
The mayor noted that while the repatriation is not simple, the goal remains to ensure Altamira and his wife Pilar Redondo rest permanently at El Campello’s cemetery, alongside their family. He emphasized that achieving this will require ongoing collaboration among the Altamira family, the Mexican authorities, and allied Spanish institutions. The path involves exhumation, transport, and a complex cross-border process, but the team remains hopeful and committed after more than a year of discussions and administrative work. Gratitude was extended to the Altamira family, the Mexican ambassador to Spain, and the Spanish ambassador in Mexico, all of whom played pivotal roles in advancing the request. The consul general in Mexico was singled out for personal involvement in coordinating the effort.
The process also relied on crucial documentation, including the death certificates for Rafael and Pilar and continued cooperation with the Cemetery administration in Mexico City. Local academics and institutions from Alicante expressed their support, reinforcing the sense that Altamira’s legacy belongs to the entire Valencian Community. Attendees noted that the County Council and Alicante Provincial Assembly would continue to back the effort, with leaders reaffirming that their support will endure no matter how long the journey takes. The overarching message remains clear: this is a long but solvable challenge, and the community remains committed to seeing it through to the end. [Citation: Local government press briefings and cultural council records]
A universal legacy worth preserving
The discussion around Altamira isn’t merely about repatriation. It’s about preserving a universal legacy that elevated the humanities in Alicante and beyond. Puig’s remarks spoke to a broader vision: a world where justice, education, and peace are interwoven with community memory. The Altamira story invites ongoing reflection on how a city, a region, and a nation honor its most influential thinkers by ensuring their contributions endure in the places where they lived and inspired others. [Attribution: Valencia regional government statements]