Redrawing ideological map is mayor's passion

The brand-new mayor of Elche, Mercedes Alonso of the conservative Popular Party (PP), has made it one of her first priorities to eliminate public reminders of the last 32 years of Socialist rule in this Mediterranean city.

Alonso's team has agreed to change the names of streets and public spaces that hark back to leftist figures, such as the Garden of Dolores Ibárruri, the world-famous Communist leader from Spain's Civil War-era known as "La Pasionaria," which is now the Garden of the Argentinean Republic. What's more, the Avenida del Ferrocarril (Railroad Avenue) now bears the name of one of the last Francoist mayors, Vicente Quiles. A PP spokesman said that Quiles did a lot for the city, while La Pasionaria had nothing to do with Elche.

Leftist groups have criticized what they call the PP's "spirit of revenge."