Indigenous Woman Monument to Replace Columbus Statue in Mexico

A statue of Christopher Colombus in Mexico City will be replaced by a monument dedicated to Indigenous women. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum announced the reason behind the change was to honor the country’s Native people.

“We’ll place a statue dedicated to the Indigenous woman,” she said on Sunday. “We owe it to them. We exist because of them,” she added. “It is the history of our country and our homeland.”

During her speech, the mayor specified that the relocation of the statue was not erasing history. Instead, the aim was to deliver social justice for the civilizations which existed in Mexico before the Spanish conquest. Therefore, the statue will go up on October 12, known as “Dia de La Raza” in Mexico. This national holiday is meant to recognize the legacy of Indigenous cultures and the mixed heritage of the country.

Ever since the late 19th century, the bronze statue of Columbus has stood on Paseo de la Reforma, the city’s main avenue. In October 2020, officials removed the statue for what appeared to be a scheduled restoration.

The real reason behind the removal, as Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador indicated, was to prevent its vandalization. Many times in the past, the statue became a target for protesters as they expressed their rage. After being damaged in 1992, the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in America, the position of the statue in Mexico City has been disputed.

Other cases of statue vandalism have been occurring across the world for years. Over the last century, monuments to Columbus have been highly criticized and protested. People question his legacy and consider him one establisher of colonialism and the slave trade.

In the United States, the Black Lives Matter protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd inspired similar situations. During the demonstrations, protesters in various countries damaged statues that represented white supremacy and oppression.

Bibliography

Andrew, S. (2021, September 6) A statue of Christopher Columbus in Mexico City will be replaced by one of an Indigenous woman. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/06/americas/columbus-statue-indigenous-woman-mexico-city-cec/index.html

Diaz, J. (2021, September 7) Mexico City to Replace Columbus Statue With Indigenous Woman Monument. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/world/americas/mexico-city-columbus-statue.html

Graf, G. (2021, September) The removal of Mexico City's Columbus statue comes amid a global push to take down statues and monuments to historical figures involved in colonialism and other abuses, including slavery. [Photograph] Reuters. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/6/mexico-city-swapping-columbus-statue-one-indigenous-woman

N.A. (2021, September 6) Mexico City to swap Columbus statue for one of indigenous woman. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-58462071