The monument removal and street name changes in Spain seem like a recent trend only because of current articles in the US press. Actually, the argument around this issue has been ongoing for decades. A Washington Post article on Google dates from l980. Now, forty years after Franco’s death the argument continues, although every time I visit Spain I notice one less reference to the man who dominated the scene during the years I lived there.
And here we are in the US with similar questions regarding the Confederacy.
You asked me what I thought. Well, I have to admit that I’ve changed my mind. At first I argued with my Spanish nephew that I didn’t think history should be erased; that the statues and memorials should remain as a reminder. But now I think they should be removed—not destroyed—just removed to a place where they can be studied and put in perspective.