El Colotero
El Colotero was an outdoor concrete-and-steel monument in Álamo, Veracruz, Mexico. Miguel Vargas Martínez sculpted it, and it was unveiled in 2004. It stood tall. The sculpture depicted a male orange harvester, locally known as a colotero, carrying a basket of 192 oranges, bending to pour them on the ground. The municipality is known for its orange production, and the monument honored the orange harvesters. The complex underwent maintenance on multiple occasions, most recently between 2021 and 2023.
On 16 December 2025, the sculpture collapsed under its own weight after having been damaged during the October 2025 floods that affected the municipality. Governor Rocío Nahle García said a replica would be constructed in the future.
Description and history
El Colotero was a monument in the town of Álamo, in the municipality of Álamo Temapache, Veracruz. The complex, made of steel rebar and concrete, featured an arched male figure pouring 192 oranges onto the ground. The man was depicted shirtless, wearing rolled-up pants, barefoot, and carrying a basket on his back. The monument stood tall, was long, and had a hollow interior.It was unveiled in 2004 near Federal Highway 127, the main entrance to the town. Mayor Juan Bustillos Montalvo requested Miguel Vargas Martínez to create the artwork, which took two years to be completed. El Colotero honored the municipality's orange harvesters; before 2021, Álamo Temapache produced nearly of oranges.
During the mayoralty of Jorge Vera, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, a giant mask was added to the sculpture to raise awareness of the disease.