Instead, it will be replaced with a statue of an indigenous woman to recognize the contribution of Mexico’s native people, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaum, who created announcement on sunday
Indigenous Women’s Day, said that the legacy of the Italian colonizer is viewed through “two perspectives”: one that is Euro-centric, and the other which holds that civilizations existed in the Americas long before the arrival of Columbus.

Of Mexico’s indigenous people, Sheinbaum said, “We are indebted to them and we exist because of them.” “This is the history of our country and our motherland.”

The bronze statue of Columbus was featured prominently on the Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City’s main thoroughfare, since the late 19th century. In October 2020, officials removed the statue from its pedestal for a scheduled restoration – but they were considering the legacy of the man it had remembered, city officials said, as al Jazeera informed at that time.

According to Al Jazeera, both Sheinbaum and Mexico’s President Andres Manuel López Obrador indicated at the time that the statue of Columbus had been removed to prevent protesters from vandalizing it. the idol was was damaged before In protest against the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Columbus in the Americas in 1992.

In place of Columbus Day, Mexico celebrates Dia de la Raza on October 12, a holiday that recognizes “Mexico’s mixed indigenous and European heritage”. encyclopedia britannica.

To honor those pre-Columbus civilizations, sculptor Pedro Reyes would create a statue of an Olmec woman. The Olmec people are considered to be one of the first major civilizations in what became Mexico.

Reyes said in one, “It’s so important to dedicate a monument to Indigenous women and the Earth, because if anyone can teach us how to take care of this planet, it’s our native people, and that’s exactly what we need to do again.” Must learn from.” statement, according to the Mexican newspaper universal.

El Universal reported that the statue of Columbus would be moved to Parque America in the Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City.

Source: CNN