"Day of Indian Resistance."

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No Cheers for Columbus, Says Venezuela's Chavez

Sat Oct 11, 4:21 PM ET Add World - Reuters to My

 

"Long live Sitting Bull!" Chavez declared, drawing applause from his

audience, many of whom wore traditional native clothes and head-

dresses.

 

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged

Latin Americans on Saturday not to celebrate Columbus Day, saying the

1492 discovery of the Americas triggered a 150-year "genocide" of

native Indians by foreign conquerors who behaved "worse than Hitler."

 

"Christopher Columbus was the spearhead of the biggest invasion and

genocide ever seen in the history of humanity," the populist

president told a meeting in Caracas of representatives of Indian

peoples from across the continent.

 

 

Columbus Day on Oct. 12 is celebrated as a holiday in the United

States and several Latin American nations, but Chavez said it should

be remembered as the "Day of Indian Resistance."

 

 

"We Venezuelans, we Latin Americans, have no reason to honor

Columbus," he added.

 

 

The Venezuelan leader said Spanish, Portuguese and other foreign

conquerors had massacred South America's Indian inhabitants at an

average rate of roughly "one every 10 minutes." He described Spanish

conquistadors like Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro, as "worse

than Hitler."

 

 

He said even the continent's geographical names, like America and

Venezuela, were imposed by foreigners.

 

 

Chavez's opponents, who are seeking a referendum to try to vote him

out of office, say his self-styled "revolution" in the world's No. 5

oil exporter is aimed at installing an anti-U.S. communist system

like the one in Cuba. Chavez says his brand of left-wing nationalism

will make Venezuela more independent.

 

 

The Venezuelan leader hailed as heroes Indian chiefs who had fought

against the invaders, such as Guaicaipuro who resisted the Spanish

founders of Caracas, and American Indian chief Sitting Bull, who

defeated U.S. Gen. George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of Little

Bighorn in 1876.

 

 

"Long live Sitting Bull!" Chavez declared, drawing applause from his

audience, many of whom wore traditional native clothes and head-

dresses.