In the early hours of Oct. 11-12, 1492, with the cry of "Land!" world history was changed forever. That day, the New World was born with the arrival of Christopher Columbus at the head of three ships: the Pinta, the Niña and the Santa María. They left Spain loaded with supplies, sailors and hopes of finding life on the other side of the Atlantic.
Columbus' arrival in what is now known as America occurred at the request of the Catholic monarchs of the Spanish crown, who had the intention of exploring and opening new navigation and trade routes. His journey began on Aug. 3, 1492, from the Port of Palos in Huelva, Spain. He arrived at the island of Guanahani located in the Bahamas archipelago, later named by Columbus as San Salvador.
That event is now celebrated in America and Spain every year. It is the memory of the creation of a new modern world and of an identity whose traces are reflected not only in the traditions, religion, civilization and other similarities that all Hispanics in the world share, but also in their way of communicating: their language. Almost 500 million people around the world now speak Spanish.
"The commemoration of the National Holiday, a common practice in today's world, has as its purpose solemnly remember moments of collective history that are part of the common historical, cultural and social heritage, assumed as such by the vast majority of citizens," explains the law approved on Oct. 8, 1987, which establishes the day of the National Holiday of Spain on Oct. 12.
Oct. 12 in Hispanic countries
How do the rest of the Hispanic countries celebrate and call this day? In most Latin American countries, it was known as Race Day or Discovery of America, but currently it varies according to the country and the government that is in power. For example, in Argentina, Race Day was changed to American Cultural Diversity Day in 2007. It was finally consecrated as the Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity under the government of Cristina Fernández.
In socialist countries like Cuba, it is not celebrated. In Ecuador, Oct. 12 is celebrated as the Day of Interculturality and Plurinationality, and in Mexico, it has been known as Day of the Pluricultural Nation, since Andrés Manuel López Obrador became president. In Nicaragua, it is called Day of Indigenous, Black and Popular Resistance.
In the case of Venezuela, the name to commemorate the date has changed over time due to ideology. The socialists are trying to change the name to crtiticize Spain's actions at that time. In fact, some socialist leaders like Nicolás Maduro have gone much further, and just two days before Oct. 12 this week he claimed that the Spanish Empire crucified Jesus Christ.
"When he was crucified, unjustly condemned by the Spanish empire, and by the oligarchies that religiously governed the area, … our Lord Jesus Christ was nailed, crucified, murdered, tortured; he died as a Palestinian man. And he was resurrected to immortal life as a Palestinian spirit," Maduro said.
The position of countries under socialist regimes with respect to the naming of this day contrasts with those that have democratic and non-socialist governments. This is the case of the Bahamas, where it is known as Discovery Day, similar to Chile, which calls it the Discovery of America. In the Dominican Republic, it is known as the Day of the Encounter between Two Cultures, and in Panama, it is called as in Spain: Hispanic Heritage Day.
'Spain never had colonies'
But unlike what leftists and their attempts to cancel Christopher Columbus may say, what history reflects is that the arrival of Columbus was the beginning of a period of economic growth and the development of civilization. This is also explained by experts on this topic. For example, Miguel Henrique Otero, editor-in-chief of the newspaper El Nacional and researcher on the so-called "black legend," a term used to describe Spain's alleged atrocities in the age of exploration, explains that there has been an attempt to distort Spain's achievements in the New World.
"This is a great disinformation operation that achieved its goal. The black legend is the biggest bit of fake news. The black legend is finally being revealed. But now there is a challenge and that is how to reconstruct the damage that was done, which is almost impossible," said Otero on the subject.
Similar is the opinion of Carmen Iglesias, director of the Royal Academy of History of Spain. She highlighted that the black legend has always been used for political purposes.
She also pointed out that, upon their arrival in Latin America, the Spanish did not rob or attack the indigenous peoples as the black legend has made people believe. "Spain did not commit any robbery. And that can be seen, for example, when they go to museums in London, where there are indigenous riches. We don't have any museum of America here. Spain has nothing to give back," Iglesias said.
He insisted that the gain that the arrival of the Spanish had on the other side of the Atlantic is evident in the miscegenation and the Hispanic heritage that is reflected in Hispanic countries: religion, language, customs and traditions. "Spain never had colonies. And it is very important for our knowledge. Only Ibero-America can thank a miscegenation that was not only biological but also cultural. The Spanish brought to America everything they were and everything they had," said the director of the Royal Academy of History of Spain.
Hispanic heritage in America
Furthermore, the legacy left by the discovery is not only experienced in Hispanic countries. In the United States, Latinos are also proud of their Hispanic heritage. It is a human force that is a pillar of the nation and a fundamental actor in its prosperity and cultural diversity. From past figures like Felipe de Neve, founder of the city of Los Angeles, to designer Carolina Herrera in the present, the Hispanic community is an engine of growth of American society.
The most important thing is that they maintain pride in their Hispanic roots. This is reflected in the fact that the majority of the Hispanic community speaks Spanish today and considers it important for future generations to maintain their language, according to a Pew Research study:
A majority of Latinos (65%) say it is very important for future generations of Latinos in the United States to speak Spanish, including a third who say it is extremely important. And 85% say it is something important. Only 5% say it is not important at all.
This Oct. 12, at least 60 million people in the United States will celebrate the beginning of that Hispanic heritage. They will commemorate the arrival of Columbus that opened the doors to the culture, tradition, belief and progress that the American continent experiences today.
