No Cheers for Columbus, Says Venezuela's Chavez
Sat Oct 11, 4:21 PM ET
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez urged Latin Americans on Saturday not to celebrate
Columbus Day, saying the 1492 discovery of the Americas triggered a 150-year
"genocide" of native Indians by foreign conquerors who behaved
"worse than Hitler."
"Christopher Columbus was the spearhead of the biggest invasion and
genocide ever seen in the history of humanity," the populist president told
a meeting in Caracas of representatives of Indian peoples from across the
continent.
Columbus Day on Oct. 12 is celebrated as a holiday in the United States and
several Latin American nations, but Chavez said it should be remembered as the
"Day of Indian Resistance."
"We Venezuelans, we Latin Americans, have no reason to honor
Columbus," he added.
The Venezuelan leader said Spanish, Portuguese and other foreign conquerors
had massacred South America's Indian inhabitants at an average rate of roughly
"one every 10 minutes." He described Spanish conquistadors like Hernan
Cortes and Francisco Pizarro, as "worse than Hitler."
He said even the continent's geographical names, like America and Venezuela,
were imposed by foreigners.
Chavez's opponents, who are seeking a referendum to try to vote him out of
office, say his self-styled "revolution" in the world's No. 5 oil
exporter is aimed at installing an anti-U.S. communist system like the one in
Cuba. Chavez says his brand of left-wing nationalism will make Venezuela more
independent.
The Venezuelan leader hailed as heroes Indian chiefs who had fought against
the invaders, such as Guaicaipuro who resisted the Spanish founders of Caracas,
and American Indian chief Sitting Bull, who defeated U.S. Gen. George Armstrong
Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.
"Long live Sitting Bull!" Chavez declared, drawing applause from
his audience, many of whom wore traditional native clothes and head-dresses.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
greets an indian man during a meeting with representatives of Indian
people from across the continent in Caracas, October
12, 2003. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged Latin Americans on Saturday
not to celebrate Columbus Day, saying the 1492 discovery of the Americas
triggered a 150-year 'genocide' of native Indians by foreign conquerors who
behaved 'worse than Hitler.' REUTERS/HO-Miraflores Palace