Indigenous Misak people toppled Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada statue in Bogotá

This Friday around 6:00 am, members of the Misak community, representing the Movement of Indigenous Authorities of the Southwest, (AISO) overthrew the statue of Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada in Bogotá, “which was historically the greatest massacre, torturer , thief and rapist of our women and children, ”AISO said in a statement. The monument is located in Plaza Rosario, in the city center.

They described the act as the recovery of one of its most sacred spaces, after being “stripped by the hitmen of the conquest and the Spanish colony”. They also added that the Colombian elite descended from Jiménez and that for them it had reproduced problems such as corruption, looting and assassinations. “The proof is the tax reform presented a few days ago by the government and overthrown by all the peoples united in the mobilizations”.

They join other strike demands, saying they are now seeking dignified, humane and inclusive health. They mentioned that in this territory they sow the memory of Mama Manela, “a woman skilled in thinking and helping, she taught our people to work hard”. Bogotá police arrived at the scene and took away the detained community. On video you can see how they were captured.

After the statue fell, the Misak began to play drums and sing along with shouting “Long live the women of Bogotá”.

In their statement, in fact, they sent a message to “all those women who bury their children, today we all mourn the loss of our children in all the territories, who have fallen because of a frenzied war that we have taxes ”and expressed that they will remember the deceased and be part of the legacy.

“We call on the country not to lose hope, from now on we will rewrite our history. The Colombian people will understand and recognize the stories of life and of resisting our trials in the face of historical injustices to which we have been subjected, ”they wrote.

It is the fifth statue or monument to fall in Colombia as part of the national strike: the first was that of the so-called founder of Cali, Sebastián de Belalcázar, on April 28; then, that of former president Misael Pastrana Borrero in Neiva, on April 29 and May 1, the bust of Gilberto Alzate Avendaño fell in Manizales and the statue of Antonio Nariño in Pasto.

“In the 1940s, Laureano Gómez moved closer to the ideals of Nazism and fascism, he even incited violence against Jewish immigrants. Laureano Gómez and Gilberto Alzate Avendaño reproduced the Night of Broken Glass in Bogotá, prompting people to stone Jewish businesses, ”said Historia de Colombia, an account specializing in providing historical data on the country.

His movement was named in his honor Alzatismo, characterized by strong nationalism, the far right, fascism and totalitarianism. Ideologically, he was a staunch opponent of the Liberal Party. Promoter of nationalist ideologies. Creole Benito Mussolini “commented another user of the social network.

On Twitter, several pastusos explained why Antonio Nariño is not well regarded by some citizens of this region. “Why remove the statue of Antonio Nariño?” He commanded the battle of the Ejidos and they killed over 3,500 Pastusos. Nariño lost and the Pastusos did not kill him in exchange for a peaceful deal with Bolívar. He did not, on the contrary, he supported the attack with more force, they massacred us ”.

“When I read all these people who laugh at my compatriots for overthrowing Antonio Nariño, they ratified the idea that the biggest problem in this country is ignorance. He knew how to translate human rights but he promoted the genocide of the Pastuso people even when they released him and spared his life, ”said another user.

KEEP READING