Mexico City swapping Columbus statue with one of Indigenous woman

The Columbus statue was a frequent target of protesters denouncing European suppression of Mexico’s Indigenous civilisations.

A statue of Christopher Columbus that was a prominent presence on Mexico City’s most iconic boulevard will be replaced by a statue honouring Indigenous women, the city’s mayor has announced. The 19th-century bronze statue on the Paseo de la Reforma had been taken down last year for restoration work ahead of an annual demonstration. The new monument aims to deliver “social justice” for the historic role of women in Mexico, particularly Indigenous women, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said at an event in the Mexican capital on Sunday marking International Day of the Indigenous Woman.