A statue of Christopher Columbus has been taken down from a public square in Trinidad and Tobago.
The statue was removed from Columbus Square, in the capital, Port of Spain, by the Port of Spain City Council following extensive discussions and technical assessment, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
Also, the council say there are plans to rename Columbus Square.
There are plans to build a new monument to honour the victims of the subsequent genocide that Columbus’ so-called “discovery” brought, Newsday reported.
Port of Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne made the announcement of the statue’s removal on 1st August, as Trinidad and Tobago celebrated Emancipation Day.
He said: “More than 140 years later, restoration and repair require that as we ensure that the yet-to-be-born revere our ancestors like Kwame Ture, we also ensure that they learn our colonial history in its most appropriate historical context.
“For that reason, the Council of the City of Port of Spain has taken the decision to remove the statue of Christopher Columbus from Independence Square and to make it available to the National Museum and Art Gallery for display.”
The statue will now be placed at the National Museum and Art Gallery.
Additionally, in recent years, the statue has been defaced.
It had been splashed with red paint, had its hands removed and even had a bag placed over the head.
According to a statement by the Port of Spain City Corporation, the removal of the statue “commenced at approximately 10pm on August 6th 2025, to minimise traffic disruption in the Capital City.
The statement added: “The exercise was planned following an onsite technical assessment and further consultation on August 5th, 2025 at the Ethelbert “Telly” Pail Council Chamber at City Hall.
“It was determined that the statue should be removed first, followed by the remaining parts of the monument.
“The discussions included representatives from several key stakeholder organisations, including the Santa Rosa First People’s Community, the Warao First People, the Caribbean Freedom Project, the National Trust and the Emancipation Support Committee TT.”
