What does the destruction of statues of Columbus tells us about some of the realities and myths of conquest and colonization in Latin America?

Write in opinion piece style

What does the destruction of statues of Columbus tells us about some of the realities and myths of conquest and colonization in Latin America? What would a historically grounded and nuanced public site (monument, artwork, statue, etc.) of these processes’ contradictions, reversals, violence(s), and local appropriations could look like? Think imaginatively and boldly about possibilities for creating a public work and a site of collective memory that would capture, if not all, at least some of the discussions we have had in terms of the unfinished character of these processes, the role of religion and resistance, the centrality and resilience of native knowledge(s) of the sacred, health,
political power, among other factors.

Start by describing a current example or situation corresponding to the present-day context; in this case: Latin America’s reckoning with its colonial past through the decapitation or removal of monuments of Columbus
• Discuss how this example relates to some of the realities and misconceptions of the conquest and the colonization that followed
• Offer then an example of a public site, monument, artwork or statue that would reflect a more nuanced understanding of the contradictions of conquest and colonization
• Go back to the first example you mentioned or to your discussion of the contemporary context and conclude
• Key: come up with a catchy title for your piece after you have finished it. The title usually summarizes the piece’s argument but it is also suggestive and provocative

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