Caracas, October 12, 2024. – Venezuela commemorates this Saturday, October 12, Indigenous Resistance Day, a moment to remember the struggle of indigenous peoples against the barbarism imposed by Spain upon setting foot on the lands of Our America.

“They (the Spanish) celebrate October 12 as Columbus Day or Spain’s Day—couldn’t they choose another day? Because October 12 for all of America (…) is the day the genocide began (…) It is no day for celebration,” declared the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, during his program Con Maduro+ this past Monday.

“For us, it is the day of resistance, of life over death, of freedom over enslavement, of the republican idea over the monarchy,” he added.

Before the arrival of the Bolivarian Revolution, October 12 was “celebrated” as Columbus Day, and even the so-called “discovery of America” by Christopher Columbus, who was sent by the Spanish Kingdom, was commemorated.

In 2002, the government of President Hugo Chávez decreed this date as Indigenous Resistance Day, marking the indigenous peoples’ resistance against Spanish colonization.

Indigenous resistance began with the arrival of the Spanish in 1492, which initiated a violent colonization process across the continent’s territories. During this period, the Spanish, through force and cultural intrusion, managed to seize the resources of these communities and impose their beliefs.

In response, many indigenous groups had to focus their efforts on preparing for war, forsaking activities like agriculture, fishing, and craftsmanship.

Today, as a free and sovereign nation, Venezuela does not celebrate this day but rather honors the bravery and struggle of the indigenous peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The resistance continues in these times, now against the empires of the United States and Europe, which, as always, seek to exploit the resources of Bolívar’s homeland.