Mexico City's Columbus statue replaced

Justice for native peoples - 11th October 2021

A statue of Christopher Columbus was removed from the centre of Mexico City. A statue of a native Olmec woman will replace it.

People in the USA and Latin America have taken down statues of Columbus too. Columbus was a 15th century Italian explorer. He got money from the Spanish king and queen to explore.

After Columbus arrived in the Americas, Spain took control of the land and the people. Today, many people see him as a symbol of abuse.

Days before International Day of the Indigenous Woman celebrations, the mayor told the public about removing the statue. She said that the statue would be moved to a park.

Mayor Sheinbaum said she isn't trying to change history. She only wants justice for native people. Olmec people lived in Mexico from 1200 BCE

The statue was removed before 12th October 2020, which is Columbus Day. In the US, many states have renamed the day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This is to celebrate the cultures of Native American peoples. Several Latin American countries also changed the name of the holiday.