Within the framework of the commemoration of Columbus Day, which is celebrated on October 12 in Colombia, the Minister of the Interior, Armando Benedetti, ignited a controversy by proposing that this holiday be eliminated, a fact that also opened a conversation about the history, memory and meaning of this day.
From his X account, Bendedetti assured that “this day must disappear”since he described the arrival of the Spanish to America as a “genocide” and a “extermination”.
October 12, 1492. THERE IS NOTHING TO CELEBRATE!! It was a violent occupation guided by greed, annihilating our indigenous people. This day must disappear from our holidays! In
— Armando Benedetti (@AABenedetti) October 12, 2025
He argued that it is a contradiction that the self-proclaimed “Government of Change” continues to commemorate what he considers “the biggest catastrophe that has happened to indigenous peoples”.
For the Minister there is nothing to celebrate on this day and, therefore, the festive date should be removed from the official calendar.
The controversy over October 12 is not new. Even in 2021, through resolution 0138 of the Ministry of Culture, The Colombian State decided to officially change the name Columbus Day to convert it into the Day of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity of the Colombian Nation..
The idea was “resignify” the commemoration to give way to a day that celebrates pluralism and the rich mix of cultures that make up the nation.
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