Mexico City exchanges a statue of Columbus with an indigenous woman | Indigenous Rights News

The statue of Columbus has often been the target of protesters who condemned Europe’s suppression of indigenous civilization in Mexico.

A statue Christopher Columbus The mayor of the city announced that the prominent position on Mexico City’s most iconic boulevard will be replaced by a statue commemorating indigenous women.

The 19th-century bronze statue on Paseo de la Reforma was demolished for restoration work before the annual demonstration last year.

The new monument aims to provide “social justice” for the historical role of Mexican women, especially indigenous women, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said at the International Indigenous Women’s Day event in the Mexican capital on Sunday.

“To them, we owe… the history of our country, our motherland,” she said.

The Columbus statue in Mexico City was donated to the city many years ago and is an important reference point on the 10-lane avenue where it is located [File: Fernando Llano/AP Photo]

This move comes as a global push for the removal of statues and monuments of historical figures involved in colonialism and other abuses (including slavery).In recent years, such monuments Overthrown by protesters or Removed by local authorities In the U.S., Canada and U.K,and many more.

Columbus is a few statues of the Italian navigator. His expeditions funded by Spain started in the 1490s, which opened the way for Europe to conquer the Americas. It has now been removed from American cities.

The Columbus statue in Mexico City was donated to the city many years ago. It is an important reference point on the 10-lane boulevard where it is located, and so far, the surrounding traffic circles are named after it.

This makes it a favorite target of condemnation by spray paint-wielding protesters European repression Mexican Indigenous civilization.

it is Deleted last year It was restored shortly before October 12th. Americans call it Columbus Day, but Mexicans call it “Dia de la Raza”-“Game Day”-the anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in America in 1492.

At that time, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador pointed out, “This is a very controversial date, which can easily lead to ideological and political conflicts.”

This year marks the 700th anniversary of Tenochtitlan-now Mexico City-and the 500th anniversary of its occupation by the Spanish conquerors and the 200th anniversary of Mexico’s final independence from Spain.

Most Mexicans have some indigenous ancestry. During and after the conquest, millions of indigenous people died of violence and disease.

Sheinbaum said that this new statue called “Tlali” may be ready near Dia de la Raza this year.

“Of course we recognize Columbus,” the mayor said at an event announcing the change on Sunday, calling Columbus “a great international figure.”

The statue of Columbus in Mexico City is a favorite target of spray paint-wielding protesters [File: Marco Ugarte/AP Photo]

“But there are two visions,” she said, adding that one of them is Europe’s vision of “discovering the Americas,” even though Mexican civilization has existed for centuries.

“There is another vision here. In fact, a European arrived in the United States, he met in two places, and then came to the United States. [Spanish] Conquer,” she said.

The statue of Columbus will be moved to an inconspicuous location in a small park in the city’s Polanco community.

Sheinbaum is a close ally of Lopez Obrador, and he has been trying to portray his government as a defender of the poor and indigenous communities, many of whom are the least wealthy in the country.