Guerrero en reposo, Sculpture in Miraflores, Cali, Colombia

Guerrero en reposo, better known as El muerto, is a sculpture by Jaime Piedrahíta Rivera in Cali. It shows a nude man resting or reflecting, lying on a bench that supports him. The work stands in the Miraflores neighbourhood, where it was moved in 1969.

Jaime Piedrahíta Rivera made the sculpture for an art festival held in Cali in 1964. Its model, Iván Montoya, bought it from the artist for 1,800 Colombian pesos; it later passed to his niece Fanny Martínez, who kept it in the front garden of her house in the Colseguros neighbourhood. In 1969 it moved with her to Miraflores, where it stands today.

Locals call the sculpture El Muerto, a name tied to the street where a murdered man was abandoned in 1952, and some link it to the city's first victim of violence or of love. Neighbours leave flowers and say prayers before it, as they did in Colseguros before 1969.

The sculpture sits at a central location that is easily accessible on foot with no special requirements. Its position at a well-known street corner makes it a natural reference point when exploring the area.

The sculpture is linked by locals to a historical case that gave it a nickname still used today. This connection between the artwork and local history makes it more than just a statue on the street.