In the hometown of Brazilian footballer Daniel Alves, a statue in his honor was torn down

A statue honoring footballer Daniel Alves in his Brazilian hometown was removed at the request of a government ministry and citizen protests following his conviction for rape in Spain, officials said.

In a statement, the city council of Juazeiro, a small city in northeastern Brazil, said it had removed it from the square where it was displayed in honor of its most famous compatriot, “in accordance with the recommendation of the Brazilian Ministry of State.” Bahia.”

In its recommendation, the State Ministry justified that the monument violates the legislation of the municipality of Juazeiro and the state of Bahia, which prohibits the offering of tributes to living people from public resources.

This decision by local authorities was made after several protests by the population of Juazeiro.

Daniel Alves, 40, was sentenced on February 22 to four years and six months in prison for raping a 23-year-old woman in a Barcelona nightclub, but was released at the end of March after posting the one million euro bail imposed by law. Barcelona court, awaiting the outcome of the appeal at large.

The statue, unveiled in 2020 on the central Juazeiro Avenue, has been subject to several acts of rejection over the months: late last year it was covered with a garbage bag and duct tape, and in February it was covered with white paint.

On March 8, International Women’s Day, several women demonstrated around the statue holding signs with slogans such as “No to rape culture” and “Daniel Alves rapist.”

The removed statue, the work of sculptor Leo Santana, depicts the former defender of Barcelona, ​​Sevilla, Juventus, PSG and Sao Paulo, among other clubs, wearing a Brazil shirt and controlling the ball with his feet.