Statues of 'Chespirito' characters cause controversy in Argentina

The inauguration of a monument in honor of "El Chavo Del 8" and the rest of the characters created by Roberto Gomez Bolaños has sparked controversy in Argentina due to their high costs.

The sculptures were installed in the town of Pilar, in the province of Córdoba, located some 372 miles away from Buenos Aires, and became a new attraction to children and adults, coming to take photographs at the area.

However, opposition leaders put in question the cost of the statues, about US$20,000, by artist Adrián Dellorto, and complained that those resources could have been used in health services and infrastructure works.

According to Argentinean news website Minuto Uno, mayor Diego Marco Bechis is using the statues presented last Friday as part of his reelection bid, under the argument that they represent a recreational alternative for local children.

Such sculptures are not something new for the city since the mayor has inaugurated a score of them in different places, including many based on Walt Disney's characters.

But now, the Mexican characters seem to be the most popular, as made clear by another giant "El Chavo Del 8" statue in the area, sitting on a block, with a sculpture of similar size of "El Chapulín Colorado", sharing the park with the ensemble of "Quico", "Doña Florinda", "La Chilindrina", "Profesor Jirafales", "Señor Barriga", "Don Ramón", "Jaimito", "Ñono" and "Popis".