"The X" Monument in Ciudad Juárez
"X" Monumento en Ciudad Juárez
"The X" Monument in Ciudad Juárez
This 197-foot-tall monument, called "The X" or "The Equis" stands in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. It was dedicated in May 2013. Internationally known Mexican sculptor Sebastian - whose real name is Enrique Carbajal González - designed the monument. The middle of the two towers will be a viewing area that will allow visitors to look into El Paso and over Juárez. Sebastian explained: "It is a symbol full of meanings, a mark to welcome people (to Mexico) and to demonstrate the ancestral Mexican culture." He said the sculpture is a tribute to Juárez's namesake, Mexican President Benito Juárez. Juárez was remembered for changing the spelling of the country's name in the 1800s, from Méjico to Mexico. The two intersecting arms of the X symbolize the mestizaje, or the merging of two cultures in Mexico - the indigenous people and the Spanish. Being the first president with Aztec blood, Benito Juárez is credited with bringing together the races. The sculpture is situated at the Mexican-American border.