A Mexican Artist Wants To Give El Paso Its Own Version Of Juarez’s Famous “X”

Whenever you’re driving up or down the Border highway or even I-10 near central El Paso you can’t help but look over across the border at the gigantic red “X” sculpture and think, “Ah, good ole Juarez.” Well, one Mexican artist is hoping to place a sculpture like the famous “Equis” right here in El Paso.

Pedro Francisco Rodriguez designed a 130-foot tall bright yellow monument that he hopes will be placed in El Paso. Francisco is looking at placing that monument in Ascarate Park which would be across from Juarez’s famous “Equis” sculpture.

The cost for the monument? A whopping $3 Million. According to Francisco, the monument will represent a “threshold” into the future.

Francisco has spoken with the city and county officials about the idea but no word yet on whether or not El Paso will for sure be getting their own version of the famous “X.”

The ‘X’ has become an icon and a symbol that represents Juarez to the rest of the world.

The 202-foot tall sculpture was designed by a Chihuahuan state sculptor by the name of Sebastian who told Mexican media outlets that the letter X has a special meaning for Juarez.

According to an article on Borderreport.com, former Mexican President Benito Juarez officially changed “Mejico” to “Mexico” in 1857. The name stems from the native American Nahuatl language but the Spaniards who conquered Mexico always used a “J” so now the “X” is always included in anything having to do with the city of Juarez.

Having our own version of Juarez's famous "X" would be nice, but for now I'll keep enjoying the bright red X that stands tall in our sister city, Juarez.