A few days ago, a controversial issue arose in Argentina, where popular movements and self-proclaimed "revolutionaries" were trying to appropriate the ideas of others.

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These groups, generally a minority, demonstrated in the streets trying to impose their ideas, which have already been discussed to death, both in this country and in most Latin American countries.

 

A few police chases led to some disturbances, which only served to make people seriously consider the original reason for the demonstration. Nevertheless, something was left to discuss.

 

Was it really Christopher Columbus who “discovered” America? 

Whether or not this is the case, the fact remains that every October 12th, several countries celebrate this event, though each calls it something different. What Chile and Peru call "Day of the Reencounter of Two Worlds," in Colombia is indeed called "Day of the Race," although there are many detractors who constantly campaign to change the name. Specifically, they assert that "Using the word 'race' to refer to human beings is to perpetuate a colonialist tradition of discrimination."

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In Argentina, it has been called "Day of Respect for American Cultural Diversity" for about 20 years. In Spain, it's "Hispanic Day." Meanwhile, the United States is known as "Columbus Day."

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The “doubts” about the veracity of that arrival of the Genoese sailor to the new land originate because several historians claim that there were records of the arrival of a group of Vikings some 500 years before 1492, and they also claim to have evidence of the arrival of a Portuguese fleet in 1424.

 

More than 500 years after that event, controversies persist, even regarding what should be celebrated. While for some countries it is a good reason to celebrate cultural diversity and recognize the integration of native Indigenous peoples, Europeans, and Africans who arrived on the continent, in others it is viewed with caution. And perhaps the focus of the greatest questioning is in Colombia, where members of CIVP (Interethnic Truth Commission of the Pacific) maintain that “The history that has been told for years in books only narrates one part of the story. Have we heard the other story? The story of the conquered and colonized, the kidnapped and enslaved? The other story, the story of the vanquished, will say that it is a disastrous date for Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples.”

 

The Argentine perspective on this date aligns with the reasons for the name change, as various organizations seek to promote ongoing reflection on history and foster dialogue for cultural diversity. This also includes promoting the human rights of Indigenous peoples, as enshrined in the National Constitution's articles on equality, guaranteeing respect for their identity and the right to bilingual and intercultural education.

 

Doubts? Questions? Welcome to America, folks…