In the heart of Lima, Peru, a statue of the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro has been reinstalled, sparking both support and controversy among locals and historians. The statue, which once stood in Plaza Mayor, was removed in 2020 due to protests surrounding the legacy of colonialism. However, its recent return has reignited debates about the complicated history of the Spanish conquest and the continuing tension between indigenous rights and historical preservation. The monument, which shows Pizarro on horseback with his sword drawn, was created by the American sculptor Charles Rumsey and offered by his widow to commemorate the city's fourth centenary in 1935. In 2003, it was moved to a park next to train tracks outside the city center following calls for its removal.

The symbolic vindication of Pizarro, the conquistador who led 167 Spaniards to defeat the Inca Empire, has provoked mixed reactions in a country still deeply divided along racial and class lines. Pizarro notoriously captured the Inca emperor Atahualpa in 1532 and held him to ransom until the room in which he was held was filled with gold and silver. He then had him executed the following year. After sacking Cusco, the capital of the Inca empire, Pizarro founded Lima in 1535. Originally known as the City of Kings, the city was the capital of the Spanish Viceroyalty in South America until Peru’s independence in 1821.

Indigenous leaders say he was a mass murderer who destroyed their culture, while those who supported the statue's return said Peru should not erase its history. With his sword drawn, Pizarro has now been placed next to the presidential headquarters. Groups of Indigenous people – many of whom do not live in the capital but rather in the Amazon and Andes mountains – protested with signs reading “Fuera Pizarro!”, or “Pizarro out”. “It’s an insult, an insult to all the indigenous peoples of Peru, Latin America, and the world,” said Teo Todupa, a 55-year-old businessman.

In Peru, this debate is particularly intense, as the indigenous population continues to grapple with the long-term effects of Spanish colonization. Ultimately, the question of whether or not to honor figures like Francisco Pizarro is a complex one, rooted in different interpretations of history. For some, the statue is a reminder of the past that should be acknowledged and studied; for others, it is a painful reminder of a legacy that continues to shape the lives of indigenous Peruvians today. As the statue returns to its place in Lima’s Plaza Mayor, the conversation surrounding it is far from over. Whether it will remain or be removed again depends on Peru's evolving dialogue between history, memory, and justice.