Monumento al Comandante Benitez (Monument to Commander Benitez), Malaga

The Monument to Commander Benitez and the Heroes of Igueriben stands as a striking tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of Spanish soldiers during the Rif War. Located at a roundabout in Malaga Park, this bronze and marble structure commemorates Commander Julio Benitez Benitez, a native of El Burgo, Malaga, along with the officers and soldiers who heroically defended the Igueriben fort in Morocco during the "Annual Disaster" of 1921.

Inaugurated on February 11, 1926, the monument was unveiled in a ceremony presided over by King Alfonso XIII, Queen Victoria Eugenia, and the then Prime Minister Miguel Primo de Rivera. The design, created by Asturian sculptor Julio Gonzalez Pola, features a classic bronze statue of Commander Benitez in full military uniform. He is depicted standing tall, holding a saber, with a piece of artillery resting at his feet, symbolizing his steadfastness and courage.

The plinth, made of white stone and marble, features a recumbent soldier symbolizing the fallen, the Laureate Cross of San Fernando awarded posthumously to Benitez, tombstones with the names of officers like Federico de la Paz Orduna, and excerpts from Benitez's famous telegrams: "Those from Igueriben do not surrender" and "Fire on us after the twelfth cannon charge."

The monument’s powerful imagery and inscriptions capture the valor and tragic heroism of Commander Benitez and his comrades. Their resistance against overwhelming odds during the Rif War remains a poignant chapter in Spanish military history.