Goodbye, Columbus!

Posted on YouTube: July 3, 2013

Argentina tried to replace the statue of Columbus with Juana Azurduy de Padilla. Over 50% of Argentines are Italian. The move proved to be very unpopular. It all ended up in a nasty fight (see bottom of page).

Light Green areas were
disputed at the time.
Image: Wikipedia

Juana Azurduy de Padilla was a Latin American woman who fought bravely against the Spanish during the wars of Independence. At one point, she was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the Northern Army of the Revolutionary Government of the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata. (What would become Argentina).

Though she was fighting for the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata (Argentina), the town where she was born and died is now part of Bolivia.

The Spanish Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata once included Uruguay and parts of Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, and Brazil, as well what is now Argentina.  The borders would not be settled for decades.

Being half-indigenous, and a woman, she would be a politically correct hero – but more than that, she really does deserve the honor. But couldn’t they have put her statue next to Columbus?

There is a province named after her in Bolivia.

She, indeed, was a hero; but you don’t take down Columbus’ statue. You find a new place for her.

NOTE: They argued about this for years. Eventually, the Columbus statue was just moved to another area of Buenos Aires in 2017.

May 5, 2021 – Edited: Had to find new video. Made mobile friendly. Added and changed text to update the story.