Columbus Culture Wars
Oct. 14, 2024
Saturday marked the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ landing on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. The once celebrated date has been the subject of fierce revisionism for decades, and in most places the narrative focuses on the human costs of European exploration in the region, and the bloody legacy of colonialism that started with the so-called “discovery” of America.
Most countries in the region have moved past the original term “Day of the Race,” and embraced names that nod towards pluralism: Mexico marks “Day of the Pluricultural Nation,” while Ecuador celebrates “Day of Interculturality and Plurinationality.” In Chile the holiday is “Day of the Encounter between Two Worlds,” in Costa Rica it’s “Day of Cultures and in Uruguay it’s “Day of Cultural Diversity.” In Venezuela it is the “Day of Indigenous Resistance.”
Two presidential tweets on Saturday show how the historical episode continues to be a mainstay in Latin America’s culture wars. The government of Argentina’s far-right President Javier Milei shared a post saying Columbus’ arrival “marked the beginning of civilization in the American continent," and "opened a new era of progress."
On the opposite end of the continent (and political spectrum) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the civilizations that existed on the continent before European incursions, and reiterated a call for Spain’s monarchy to apologize for historical crimes.
Milei’s position pushes back against the policies of former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner under whose government the holiday was renamed from “Day of the Race,” to “Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity.” Fernández and Sheinbaum both removed statues of Columbus in previous years, part of the Latin American left’s rejection of the traditionally revered historical figure.
(Reuters, Infobae, CNN, Chequeado, El País)
Interestingly, Oct. 12 became a date commemorated in the region thanks to efforts by Spain to retain influence in Latin America after losing Cuba and Puerto Rico to the U.S., reports Voice of America. Countries in the region reciprocated the move to Spain, wary of growing U.S. influence, particularly after U.S. interventions in Panama and Haiti. “Across the Americas, Día de la Raza came to be synonymous with celebrating European influence,” writes historian Elena Jackson Albarrán in the Conversation.
More Columbus
Christopher Columbus was likely Spanish and Jewish, according to a new genetic study. (BBC, Guardian)
Venezuela
Venezuela’s government has cancelled the passports of at least 40 people — mostly journalists and activists — since Nicolás Maduro claims to have won reelection in July. Rights groups say there is an intensifying campaign of repression against the government opponents, reports the Financial Times, citing Venezuelan rights group Laboratorio de Paz.
Regional Relations
Juan Gabriel Tokatlian writes about whether efforts to elect a female, Latin American U.N. Secretary General will finally be successful in 2027, in Cenital.
“Donald Trump deliberately withheld disaster aid to states he deemed politically hostile to him as US president and will do so again unimpeded if he returns to the White House, several former Trump administration officials have warned.” - Guardian.
If elected in November, Trump has promised to “recall thousands of American troops from overseas and station them at the U.S. border with Mexico. He has explored using troops for domestic policy priorities such as deportations and confronting civil unrest,” reports the Associated Press.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel is expected to attend the BRICS meeting in Russia later this month — though the alliance of emerging market economies is unlikely to accede to Cuba’s recent request to become a partner, reports the Miami Herald.
Cuba’s “economic collapse has hurt commercial ties with China just as Beijing’s strategic rivalry intensifies with the Caribbean island’s arch-enemy, the US,” reports the Financial Times. “China is not Cuba’s sugar daddy,” said Fulton Armstrong, former US national intelligence officer for Latin America. “It’s mostly a relationship of solidarity statements. It’s not a strategic relationship for either country.”
Cuba
Cuba’s economic collapse and political repression — the government is currently carrying out a new onslaught against independent journalists — has pushed an increasing number of people to leave: the country’s population dropped by an estimated 18% in just two years. It is the collapse of what some understood as a Cuban social pact: the State guarantees labor, cultural or social rights in exchange for citizens giving up their civil and political rights, I write in Cenital.
Reuters reports on the treacherous sea journey migrants attempt between Cuba and the U.S. — considered among the five most dangerous migrant crossings globally.
Advocates say the number of abandoned cats and dogs in Cuba has spiked in the last two years in the midst of a record-breaking migration surge, reports the Associated Press.
Mexico
“The use of Mexico’s now-legendary narco tanks in face-offs between criminal groups is growing, and technological innovations have helped them evolve from being a symbolic emblem to an important tactical weapon on the battlefield,” reports InSight Crime.
Five decapitated bodies were found on a road in central Mexico, in an area controlled by the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, reports the BBC. In Jalisco this year, official figures show that 1,415 people were murdered between January and September.
Brazil
Approval of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's goverment rose to 36% in October from 35% in July, according to the latest Datafolha poll. (Reuters)
About 620,000 individuals, 46 Brazilian municipalities, 2,000 businesses and 65 faith-based institutions are to claim damages from the Anglo-Australian mining company BHP at a high court trial in London scheduled to be heard over 12 weeks, starting next week, reports the Guardian.
Colombia
As Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s Total Peace plan has faltered, “he has increasingly begun to rely on the military strategies of his predecessors,” writes Joshua Collins in Pirate Wire Services.
Panama
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino launched a security plan to “free” his country from gangs. Dubbed Panama 3.0, the plan would deploy about 1,000 police officers to hotspots, including the Colón province, areas surrounding the capital and the canal zone, where they will carry out house-to-house searches, reports EFE.
U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz, founder of the El Salvador Caucus, celebrated that the move imitates Nayib Bukele’s highly controversial security policy: “It is the BUKELEIZING of Central American politics and policy.”
El Salvador
“Although criminal prosecution of El Salvadoran journalists is rare compared to neighboring countries Nicaragua and Guatemala, journalists told CPJ that the fear of lawsuits has had a chilling effect on their work.”
Migration
“Upon exiting the Darien Gap, migrants now face a shrinking humanitarian landscape in Panama and, for non-Venezuelans, the threat of deportation. A relatively new collaboration between Panama and Costa Rica to bus migrants from the former to the latter has increased the speed at which people can move northward and avoids the risks of moving on foot. But it also leaves many without access to humanitarian services until reaching Costa Rica, where the humanitarian response has, in turn, not grown enough to meet the needs,” according to a Refugees International report. (Via Americas Migration Brief.)
A growing number of U.S. born children of Mexican immigrants are claiming dual citizenship in the country their parents left — New York Times.
Guyana
“Guyanese President Irfaan Ali announced several perks ahead of national elections next year, including free college tuition and a one-time cash payment of nearly $1,000 for every household in the oil-rich South American country,” reports the Associated Press.
Argentina
The International Monetary Fund announced a series of cuts on overcharges to countries heavily in debt, which, albeit moderate, could benefit Argentina among other nations, reports Mercopress.
IDB President Ilan Goldfajn lauds Argentine President Javier Milei’s cost-cutting measures, and calls for a “partnership between a committed public sector and a vibrant private sector can be a powerful force for change, “in the Financial Times.