( Spanish) – The leaders of several Latin American governments spoke out this Saturday for the commemoration of the so-called Race Day, also recognized in other countries as Hispanic Day or Indigenous Resistance Day, for the anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the continent. . The messages ranged from celebration to condemnation for what happened after those events.
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, reiterated this Saturday her call to the Government of Spain to apologize for “the crimes committed” during the Spanish colony in Mexican territory.
“October 12 is not Columbus Day or Hispanic Heritage Day. “Christopher Columbus discovered America for the Europeans, but in our continent and particularly in what we call Mexico today, there were already great civilizations and cultures of which we feel proud and proud,” said the president. in your X account. “The arrival of the Spanish more than five centuries ago represented the subjugation and even elimination of the native peoples. Offering apologies for crimes committed is not shameful; On the contrary, it magnifies and brings people together,” he added.
For its part, the Government of Argentina described the arrival of Christopher Columbus to America as “the beginning of civilization” on the American continent.
The Casa Rosada account published: “Today, October 12, we celebrate Columbus Day in commemoration of the arrival of Christopher Columbus to America, a milestone that marked the beginning of civilization on the American continent.”
Meanwhile, the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, expressed in X that “there was no discovery,” in reference to the arrival of Columbus to America.
“There was no discovery. Human beings in America had already known each other for tens of thousands of years. Anyone who does not know this reality should go to Chibiriquete, San José del Guaviare, Colombia, where the Sistine Chapel of prehistory is located. About 20,000 years of enormous and beautiful murals of a culture that was being born,” he wrote in your X account.
In Venezuela, the ruling party called for a march to commemorate the so-called Day of Indigenous Resistance. President Nicolás Maduro spoke by telephone to intervene in the demonstration. “They say that they discovered us, that is, that we did not exist, that they discovered us,” he said. “It turns out that they now do not dare to say that they celebrate ‘Columbus Day’, they do not dare to say that it is a crime, now they say that it is ‘Hispanic Day’ and that we are Hispanic and they call us Hispanic America.” . “We are not Latin America, we are our rebellious America,” added the president.
In Spain, although it is celebrated on that same date, it is known as Hispanic Heritage Day or, formally, National Holiday Day.
In an event led by King Felipe VI and under heavy rain, the Spanish authorities held the commemorative parade.
In response to these celebrations, the “Assembly Let’s Decolonize October 12: Nothing to Celebrate” organized this Saturday a demonstration-parade through the center of the city with the aim of protesting against the date that “tries to soften a history that demands reparation and justice ”.
In the United States it is celebrated on the second Monday in October, and is known as Christopher Columbus Day. This year, at least a dozen cities in the United Statesincluding San Francisco and Cincinnati, decided to stop celebrating Christopher Columbus Day and would instead celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The changes — which started in cities like Seattle, Minneapolis and Albuquerque and have expanded to other counties and school districts — build on recent efforts to put a different focus on Italian Explorer Day.
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