Puerto Rico: statue of Spanish explorer toppled before King Felipe’s visit

Juan Ponce de León statue came down hours before king arrives on island to mark 500 years since founding of capital San Juan

A statue of the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León has been toppled in Puerto Rico’s capital, San Juan, hours before a visit to the Caribbean island by Spain’s King Felipe VI.

The capital’s mayor, Miguel Romero, criticized the incident on Monday as an “act of vandalism” in remarks to news outlet El Nuevo Día, but sought to downplay the significance of the incident and the extent of the damage.