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Antimonumento 49 ABC

Antimonumento 49 ABC is an anti-monument installed on June 5, 2017, in front of the Mexican Social Security Institute headquarters on Paseo de la Reforma in Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. It was erected by protesters during the eighth anniversary protest of the 2009 ABC Daycare fire in Hermosillo, Sonora, in which forty-nine children died. The colorful metal work features the number 49 and the initials ABC. It never received an official name and is commonly known as Antimonumento 49 ABC. In 2019, sculptures shaped like children’s shoes were added to the base but were later stolen. A replica was installed in Hermosillo in 2024.

Antimonumento 49 ABC stands on a paved plaza in front of a modern building, with a small bouquet of white flowers and a pink sign reading \
Antimonumento 49 ABC displayed on a plaza, with flowers and a \"¡NUNCA MÁS!\" sign at its base.
June 2017 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Antimonumento 49 ABC standing on a city plaza, with a pink \
Antimonumento 49 ABC rises on a paved plaza in front of a modern building, with a pink \"¡NUNCA MÁS!\" sign nearby.
June 2017 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Antimonumento 49 ABC in a public plaza, with people photographing and filming as someone uses power tools at its base.
Antimonumento 49 ABC during a public demonstration, with crowds gathered around the installation.
June 2017 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Antimonumento 49 ABC stands on a building facade above a plaza with red flower petals and a white balloon on the ground.
The Antimonumento 49 ABC above a plaza scattered with red petals and a white balloon.
June 2019 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Antimonumento 49 ABC with small sculptural shoes placed on the pavement beside faded painted square outlines.
Detail of Antimonumento 49 ABC showing small sculptural shoes arranged on the plaza pavement.
June 2019 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

Title49 ABC
Common nameAntimonumento 49 ABC
Alternative nameAntimonumento
Typeanti-monument
Official nameNever received an official name

Creator

Installed byProtesters / activists

Historical context

Date installed5 June 2017
Installation contextInstalled during a protest and march calling for justice for the victims of the ABC daycare fire, on the eighth anniversary of the fire
Commemorated eventThe 5 June 2009 fire at the Guardería ABC day care center and IMSS warehouse in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Commemorated victimsForty-nine children who died in the fire

Physical characteristics

Later additions fateSome of the shoe sculptures were later stolen
Later additionsIn 2019, twenty-five bronze sculptures shaped like children's shoes were installed at the base; a plaque below them included the names of the victims
PlaqueA small pink side plaque bearing "¡Nunca más!"
Inscriptions and symbolsIncludes the number 49 and the initials ABC
DimensionsApproximately 4 meters high; 1 ton
ColorsBlue, pink, and green
AppearanceA colorful metal work in the form of the number 49 above the letters ABC
MaterialMetal

Discovery and provenance

ReplicaA replica was installed in Plaza Emiliana de Zubeldia, Hermosillo, on 5 May 2024

Location and ownership

LocationIn front of the headquarters of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) on Paseo de la Reforma Avenue, Cuauhtémoc borough, Mexico City, Mexico
Route of installationThe protesters left the usual march route and headed toward the IMSS headquarters; the usual route runs from the Ángel de la Independencia along Paseo de la Reforma to the Zócalo

Significance

Associated causeJustice for the victims of the ABC daycare fire
Named during installationThe activists named the victims while installing the sculpture
CommissionComisión ABC Nunca Más, created by affected parents

Other

Source languageSpanish
Related event detailsThe fire occurred on 5 June 2009 in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, at a warehouse belonging to the IMSS next to Guardería ABC, a privately subcontracted child-care service for IMSS; 176 children aged five months to five years were present, 49 died, and 80 suffered lifelong injuries
Safety and cause detailsReported deficiencies included no emergency exits, no fire extinguishers, no fire suppression system, defective electrical installations, a flammable false ceiling, and untrained staff; a satisfactory safety inspection had been received two weeks earlier; the Mexican Attorney General's Office said the cause was overheating of the warehouse ventilation system, while independent investigations concluded the fire was deliberately set to destroy stored documents
Legal outcomeNone of the co-owners or high-ranking politicians were prosecuted; Delia Irene Botello, a former regional daycare coordinator, received a three-year prison sentence; twenty-two former daycare employees were charged with negligent injury for failing to protect or rescue the children
Ownership connectionThe Guardería ABC was co-owned by a cousin of Margarita Zavala, who was first lady of Mexico and wife of President Felipe Calderón