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On February 19, Destination El Paso hosted a one-of-a-kind celebration in honor of El Paso’s beloved ambassador, Amigo Man, who celebrated his historic 50th birthday on February 16. This celebration was the perfect moment to formally unveil the newly refurbished Amigo Man statue that rests outside the Downtown El Paso Visitor Center. The statue holds a remarkable past and now stands tall as a celebrated piece of El Paso craftsmanship that has endured nearly five decades. Destination El Paso spoke with the talented welder who originally made the legendary statue and who was recognized during the unveiling on Amigo Man’s special anniversary.
Ruben Carrasco stands second from left.
Ruben Carrasco never imagined that a project he completed in his backyard in the late 1970s would become one of El Paso's most recognizable symbols. Working as a welder for the City of El Paso, Carrasco collaborated closely with Gene Stahan, then director of what is now Visit El Paso, to transform the Amigo Man concept from a printed design into a tangible reality. "When I first got here, Gene was working on the idea of trying to put the Amigo Man together," Carrasco recalls. "I said, 'I'll be more than glad to help you in any way that I can.'" What followed was an extraordinary act of community dedication. Carrasco offered to donate his labor to the city, asking only that the City of El Paso provide the materials. Working entirely by hand in his backyard, he spent over two months meticulously welding together the 10-foot statue, crafting every detail—from the sun's rays to the circular backdrop to the distinctive sombrero—from one-eighth inch metal and angle iron.
In 1978, City of El Paso Mayor Salazar honored Carrasco's contribution with a plaque recognizing his creation and construction of the Amigo Man. The statue was originally installed at the corner of San Antonio Street and Santa Fe, where it welcomed visitors and embodied the spirit of El Paso hospitality. After his work on the Amigo Man, Carrasco continued his career in public service, moving to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office and later to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Through the years, he collected newspaper clippings documenting the statue's journey—through periods when it was removed and later restored—never losing connection to the work that meant so much to him.
While the decades passed, the Amigo Man statue became displaced from the public city footprint. It was until earlier this year that Carrasco was scrolling through the City of El Paso's weekly updates when he saw an announcement about an upcoming Amigo Man unveiling. He didn't immediately realize it was his original statue being restored and relocated. "I called the Downtown Visitor Center to learn more about the statue unveiling and talked to Veronica Castro, the Director of Tourism and Strategic Alliances for Visit El Paso. She was really surprised," Carrasco recalls. It was after the call that Carrasco and his wife were formally invited to attend Amigo Man’s 50th birthday and join guests, media and the community to see the unveiling of his original statue. When he and his wife arrived at the visitor center, the moment struck him deeply. "I never thought, after so many years, that it was going to come back to life. I never realized I was going to be part of this moment."
The unveiling ceremony drew city council members, the mayor, and community members who gathered to celebrate both the statue's return and recognition of its creator. For Carrasco, seeing his handiwork restored and prominently displayed outside our visitor center was profoundly moving.
"I was very emotional, because it's something that I did so many years ago that I never thought was going to come back," he shares. "I thought everything was going to be forgotten, and that was it."
Today, the Amigo Man statue stands proudly outside the Downtown El Paso Visitor Center, illuminated at night as a beacon of welcome to all who visit our city. The original metal work, the hand-crafted welding, the careful attention to detail—all remain as Carrasco created them nearly 50 years ago.
Destination El Paso works together as a unified team to preserve and celebrate the stories that define El Paso, and Ruben Carrasco's contribution represents the very best of our community's creative energy and generous spirit. His dedication to this project, his willingness to donate his time and expertise, and his pride in seeing it restored embody the collaborative character that makes El Paso extraordinary.
The Amigo Man has returned home, and Destination El Paso is honored to share both the statue and the remarkable story of the craftsman who brought it to life. When you visit the Downtown El Paso Visitor Center, you're witnessing a piece of living history, handcrafted with skill and given with generosity to welcome generations of visitors to our vibrant border community.
The Amigo Man statue is located outside the Downtown El Paso Visitor Center at 1 Civic Center Plaza. Stop by to see this piece of El Paso history in person, beautifully illuminated each evening.
