Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago — In a landmark decision reflecting shifting national attitudes toward colonial history, Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday removed the century-old statue of Christopher Columbus from a prominent public square in the capital, Port of Spain. The removal follows decades of activism from citizens, historians, and advocacy groups who have argued that such monuments glorify oppression rather than heritage.
The bronze statue, long a lightning rod for controversy, had stood in the capital for over 100 years. Over time, it became a focal point for protests and public debate over the country’s colonial legacy. Activists accused it of symbolizing European conquest, slavery, and cultural erasure.
When workers arrived to take down the statue, they found it with its head covered by a decorative bag — a final anonymous act of protest that underscored its divisive legacy.
A Victory for Activists
The removal marks a significant win for campaigners such as Shabaka Kambon, director of the Caribbean Freedom Project, who has been at the forefront of calls to dismantle colonial-era monuments.
In a statement following the statue’s removal, Kambon described the moment as “long overdue” and pointed to the contradiction in seeking reparations for colonial crimes while continuing to honor figures like Columbus.
“This monument turned us into a global laughingstock,” Kambon said. “The fact that we struggled for so long to confront our violent colonial history — and lacked the bravery to face it — made us appear foolish, especially while demanding reparations from the same powers we were memorializing.”
Kambon also criticized the reluctance of previous administrations to act, saying it reflected deeper societal hesitance to reckon with uncomfortable historical truths.
A Broader Push to Decolonize National Symbols
The statue’s removal is part of a larger national effort to reevaluate and redesign symbols rooted in Trinidad and Tobago’s colonial past. In 2024, the government announced plans to redesign the country’s coat of arms, removing colonial-era imagery that has remained unchanged since independence in 1962.
One proposed change includes replacing depictions of Columbus’s ships — the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María — with the steelpan, a musical instrument invented in Trinidad and Tobago in the 20th century and widely recognized as a symbol of Caribbean creativity and resilience.
Officials say the goal is to ensure that national symbols reflect indigenous, African, and Creole heritage rather than European conquest.
The Historical Context
Christopher Columbus first arrived in Trinidad in 1498 during his third voyage to the Americas, claiming the islands for Spain. His arrival marked the beginning of centuries of European domination, which saw the displacement of indigenous peoples, the forced importation of enslaved Africans, and the establishment of a plantation economy.
While Columbus is often celebrated in Western history as an “explorer,” critics worldwide emphasize that his expeditions opened the door to genocide, slavery, and cultural destruction.
In Trinidad and Tobago, the statue had come to symbolize not only the man but also the broader system of colonial oppression — a painful history that activists argue should not be commemorated in public spaces.
A Global Movement Against Colonial Monuments
Trinidad and Tobago’s decision aligns with a growing international movement to reassess and, in many cases, remove monuments tied to colonialism and racial oppression.
In recent years, statues of Columbus have been dismantled or defaced in the United States, Mexico, Colombia, and Spain. Similar debates have arisen over monuments to figures such as Cecil Rhodes in South Africa, King Leopold II in Belgium, and Confederate leaders in the American South.
Critics argue that public statues act as endorsements of the individuals they depict, normalizing or even celebrating historical crimes. Supporters of removal contend that the relocation of such monuments to museums — where they can be presented with historical context — offers a more responsible approach to remembering the past.
For Trinidad and Tobago, the removal of the Columbus statue is seen as a symbolic but important step in addressing the legacies of colonial rule.
Support and Resistance
While many citizens welcomed the decision, some critics have argued that the statue’s removal erases history rather than educating the public about it. They contend that Columbus’s voyages, while controversial, were significant events that shaped the course of world history.
However, proponents of the removal insist that history can still be taught without venerating those responsible for atrocities. As Kambon put it, “We can’t seek reparations for colonial crimes while still honoring the criminals.”
From Symbolism to Substance
The conversation around the statue’s removal has also sparked calls for deeper reforms beyond symbolic gestures. Activists are urging the government to pair these cultural changes with concrete policies addressing the social and economic inequalities that persist as legacies of colonialism.
These include education reforms that more accurately reflect the nation’s history, investment in communities disproportionately affected by historical injustices, and continued diplomatic pressure on former colonial powers for reparations.
A Step Toward Reclaiming History
The removal of the Columbus statue is about more than dismantling a monument. For many, it represents an opportunity to rewrite the narrative of Trinidad and Tobago’s history in a way that centers the experiences and contributions of its own people.
By replacing colonial imagery with symbols like the steelpan, the nation is sending a clear message: independence is not only a legal status but also a cultural and historical reclamation.
The debate over how to handle contentious historical figures will likely continue, both in Trinidad and Tobago and across the globe. But for now, the space in Port of Spain where Columbus once stood is empty — a blank canvas for the country to decide what story it wants to tell the next generation.
As one passerby told Africa Live News while watching the statue being taken down: “It’s about time. This is our land, our history, and our story to tell.”
