October 13th 2004, by Robin Nieto
The Pro-Chavez website, aporea.org, reported that several groups openly claimed responsibility for the action, which was done independently of any authority in order "undo the symbols of our oppressors."
The statue was located in downtown Caracas atop a 30 foot high pedestal. Protestors used thick yellow climbing ropes to bring down the 100 year old statue of Columbus and dragged the remains through downtown Caracas and towards the Teresa Carreño theatre, where hundreds of indigenous people presented their cultural songs and dance to each other and other supporters commemorating October 12. The protestors intended to ask indigenous people to bring Columbus to trial after 512 years.
While no indigenous groups were involved, a national youth organization supports the action. "It was an act of symbolic justice," said Angel Montiel, a member of the Organization of Indigenous Youth of Venezuela. Montiel said that the statue of Columbus symbolized colonialism on the continent. "It represented invasion and genocide in our land," Montiel said.
For more on the subject, see This Ain't No Party, This Ain't No Disco: A Columbus Day Rant and Best Indian Monuments to Topple.
Chavez wants everyone to know that there is a new oppressor in town!
ReplyDeleteThis anti-Columbus news was given a chance to come out of the closet because before in every news item before this year I paid attention to in regards to indigenous resistance towards the colonizers in US & Canada, I've noted and seen and I've paid a lot of attention to a lot of them (film & video is my work)--- it has never been as wide spread. Lot of news about indig people who resist the colonizers gets censored in the mainstream media like what happens at the wall in Arizona between the Tohono O'odham Native Americans( who lived on the border) and Homeland Security never gets covered. Negative news happens on the part of Homeland security. It's all covered up. Usually news like this gets written up in the alternative presses like indig literature or in Censored but I am happy that this pov is widespread. Glad it's not ignored or shelved which usually happens. Maybe somethin's happenin here. Yea! at long last. I'm anti-Columbus. I'm not the only indig person who feels this way. Why should a Dine' filmmaker be happy about Columbus Day?
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