The LugardeMemoriaDemocrática commemorates Canada's aid, particularly the efforts of physician Norman Bethune. During the Spanish Civil War (February 1937), he provided humanitarian assistance to thousands of refugees fleeing Franco's troops along the coastal road to Almería – an event known as "La Desbandá" (The Disbanding). Bethune and his team used a mobile blood transfusion unit to treat the wounded. To honor this assistance, the promenade was officially inaugurated on February 7, 2006. A commemorative plaque recalls Canada's support and that of Norman Bethune for the people of Malagueño.
Norman Bethune is a Canadian hero of the Spanish Civil War. The doctor helped thousands of refugees flee the city of Malaga along the coastal road to Almeria in 1937.