The Lighthouse in the Dark

It was meant to be a beacon in the Dominican Republic, a shining monument to commemorate the voyage of explorer Christopher Columbus to the Caribbean in 1492. Ultimately, the Columbus Lighthouse (“Faro a Colón”) is a financial boondoggle that has been largely overlooked.

Dominican historian Don Antonio del Monte y Tejada in 1852 first suggested building a monument akin to the mythical Colossus of Rhodes though designs weren’t finalized until Scottish architect J.L. Gleave submitted a winning design in 1931. Construction of what would become the 680 foot long concrete crucifix would be delayed due to decades of domestic political instability and a lack of expected donations from other countries. Then-President Joaquín Balaguer in 1986 decided to go ahead with the state footing the bill plans even though the World Bank estimated that 37.3% of Dominicans lived in poverty. The Lighthouse would be completed in 1992 for the five hundredth anniversary of Columbus’ voyage and prior to a visit by the Pope yet with a price tag of $70 million (or roughly 5% of the country’s GDP). 

The monument was meant to be a major tourist attraction that included the regular lighting of 251 strong beams of light into the night sky. In the almost twenty-four years of its existence, however, the beacons have been rarely lit due to high energy costs and constant blackouts. The neighborhood near the structure is riddled with crime and residents derisively refer to the area as an “Apache zone”. Weeds, garbage and tall grass grow on the vast grounds of around the Lighthouse. The mausoleum is said to house the remains of Columbus though it has yet to be definitely proven if the remains belong to the famed explorer. An average of 100 tourists visit the structure daily despite some efforts by the government to improve the site.

Special events were held on Monday at the Lighthouse to commemorate what one local daily called “the 523rd anniversary of the discovery and evangelizing of América.” For critics of Columbus’ impact on the continent, it may seem fitting that such a massive monument in his honor is slowly becoming akin to the sculpture buried beneath the sands of time in the famous Shelley poem Ozymandias.

YouTube Source – Ciudad Digital (Efforts to clean up overgrown vegetation near the Columbus Lighthouse in 2014).

Online Sources (English) – Atlas Obscura, World Bank, Academy of American Poets

Online Sources (Spanish) – KeDificil.com, Listin Diario, Hoy Digital, Diario Digital

Daily Headlines: October 7, 2014

* Ecuador: As many as 2500 “micro-traffickers” of drugs could be freed from prisons in Ecuador as part of a new crime law that took effect in August.

* Argentina: U.S. federal judge Thomas Griesa continues to put pressure on the Argentine government in its legal battle against paying millions of dollars to bondholders.

* Colombia: At least eleven residents of a Colombian indigenous village died due to a lighting strike yesterday.

* Haiti: Researchers examining a shipwreck near Cap-Haitien, Haiti concluded that it did not belong to the Santa Maria, one of the three vessels used by Christopher Columbus in his 1492 voyage to the Americas.

Video Source – The Washington Office on Latin America via YouTube

Online Sources – NBC News; CNN; MercoPress; The Latin Americanist; The Guardian

Daily Headlines: May 15, 2014

* Honduras: Military police clashed with supporters of ex-president Manuel Zelaya outside of the Honduran legislative chambers as political tensions related to the controversial 2009 ouster of Zelaya remain high.
    
* Caribbean: Researchers have reportedly located the “looted” remains of the Santa Maria, one of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first voyage to the Americas, off the coast of Haiti.

* Brazil: Cruzeiro’s elimination from the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores meant that for the first time since 1991 no Brazilian teams would be among the final four of South America’s top soccer club tournament.

* U.S.: Is the Eva Longoria-led Latino Victory Project a front for the Democrats or is the Republican National Committee guilty of sour grapes?

Video Source– YouTube user latribunatvhn

Online Sources – ABC News; The Latin Americanist; The Wire; The Huffington Post; Soccrway

“Exploration Day” Instead of “Columbus Day”?

On previous Columbus Days we've wondered whether or not the date ought to be renamed for a different Italian explorer with a less checkered past than Christopher Columbus. But what about renaming the day to honor the accomplishments of all explorers in the U.S.?

Two new petitions have been launched (through Change.org and The White House) seeking to rededicate Columbus Day as Exploration Day. 

"Rededicating Columbus Day as Exploration Day will allow those who wish to commemorate his accomplishments to continue doing so," said Karl Frank, one of the men behind the Exploration Day plan, to Discovery News. "But for those who find Columbus's role in history disquieting, it will enable them to celebrate the day in a very different way. Exploration Day covers the depth and breadth of America’s rich history of exploration, research and discovery. Thus, Exploration Day will be something that unites rather than divides."

Frank and his cohorts, Tom Diehl and Dr. Rod Wright, claimed that they were inspired by the efforts of recently deceased astronaut Neil Armstrong.
 
“Inspired by the likes of Armstrong’s generation, we are finished wondering and are ready to make it happen by rekindling that fire of exploratory spirit intrinsic in all of humanity,” noted Frank. “Like the exploratory fire found in women like Sacajawea, Hedy Lamar, Amelia Earhart, and men like Lewis and Clark, John Fremont, Matthew Henson, Charles Lindbergh, and the more contemporary Elon Musk”.

Today’s Video: Viva Italia

On previous Columbus Days we've pondered whether the day ought to be renamed for a different Italian explorer with a less checkered past than Christopher Columbus. Ultimately, however, today is really an occasion in which to celebrate the rich Italian culture and the many contributions Italian migrants have brought to the U.S. and other parts of the Americas.

On a lighter note, here is the following Columbus Day-themed video from a vintage episode of "Sesame Street":

Video Source - YouTube user sawing14s

Online Sources - The Latin Americanist, Migration Information Source

"Happy 'Vespucci Day'!" revisted

Note: This post originally appeared on The Latin Americanist in 2009.

Today is Columbus Day in the U.S. and depending on your perspective it’s either an occasion to celebrate the “discovery” of America or denounce European atrocities against Amerindians.

Columbus Day is also celebrated as a day of Italian-American heritage including the contributions of Italian migrants to the U.S. While such a community deserves their day of cultural pride, I’ve often wondered if the day ought to be named for another Italian explorer without Columbus’ checkered past. As I’ve mentioned in the past, why not rename Columbus Day?

A case could be made for cartographer and explorer Amerigo Vespucci, whose name gave birth to calling the western hemisphere “America.” Why not Antonio Pigafetta who was one of a handful of survivors from Ferdinand Magellan’s famed voyage around the world between 1519 and 1522 or Giovanni da Verrazano- the first European to explore the Atlantic coast of North America. Surely a strong case could be made for Giovanni Caboto (more commonly known as John Cabot) who was Genoa-born and lays claim to being the first European explorer to set foot on the North American mainland since the Vikings.

These gentlemen are not only sources of Italian pride but also beacons of discovery and exploration whose legacies carry far less of a stigma than Christopher Columbus.

What are your thoughts on Columbus, the holiday named in his honor, and his legacy?

Image- nndb.com
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, CBS News, Wikipedia, Thinkquest

Happy “Vespucci Day”!

Today is Columbus Day in the U.S. and depending on your perspective it’s either an occasion to celebrate the “discovery” of America or denounce European atrocities against Amerindians.

Columbus Day is also celebrated as a day of Italian-American heritage including the contributions of Italian migrants to the U.S. While such a community deserves their day of cultural pride, I’ve often wondered if the day ought to be named for another Italian explorer without Columbus’ checkered past. As I’ve mentioned in the past, why not rename Columbus Day?

A case could be made for cartographer and explorer Amerigo Vespucci, whose name gave birth to calling the western hemisphere “America.” Why not Antonio Pigafetta who was one of a handful of survivors from Ferdinand Magellan’s famed voyage around the world between 1519 and 1522 or Giovanni da Verrazano- the first European to explore the Atlantic coast of North America. Surely a strong case could be made for Giovanni Caboto (more commonly known as John Cabot) who was Genoa-born and lays claim to being the first European explorer to set foot on the North American mainland since the Vikings.

These gentlemen are not only sources of Italian pride but also beacons of discovery and exploration whose legacies carry far less of a stigma than Christopher Columbus.

What are your thoughts on Columbus, the holiday named in his honor, and his legacy?

Image- Gutenberg.com (Illustration of Amerigo Vespucci from the e-book version of “Discoverers and Explorers” by Edward R. Shaw).
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, CBS News, Wikipedia, Thinkquest

Happy “Vespucci Day”!

Columbus Day is being observed in the U.S. today and is generally seen through his “discovery” of the New World. Yet there has been a dark side to Columbus’ legacy since he was a harbinger of disease and death to millions of natives.

Columbus Day is commemorated as a day of Italian-American pride with celebrations being held nationwide. Those of Italian heritage deserve a day to honor their background but would “Vespucci Day” be more appropriate? As I wrote two years ago today:

The reality is that it is very difficult to extricate the positive myths surrounding Christopher Columbus from the American psyche...

Nonetheless, I propose renaming Columbus Day in favor of Italian explorers whose contributions were not as tainted as Christopher Columbus (who may not have been Italian by birthright). A case could be made for cartographer and explorer Amerigo Vespucci, whose name gave birth to calling the western hemisphere “America.” Why not Antonio Pigafetta who was one of a handful of survivors from Ferdinand Magellan’s famed voyage around the world between 1519 and 1522 or Giovanni da Verrazano- the first European to explore the Atlantic coast of North America. Surely a strong case could be made for Giovanni Caboto (more commonly known as John Cabot) who was Genoa-born and lays claim to being the first European explorer to set foot on the North American mainland since the Vikings.

These gentlemen are not only sources of Italian pride but also beacons of discovery and exploration whose legacies carry far less of a stigma than Christopher Columbus.

What do you think?

Image- MSNBC
Sources- The Latin Americanist, CNN, Wikipedia, America.gov, Thinkquest, BBA Communications

Daily Headlines: January 16, 2008

* In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

In 1493, Columbus may have brought Europe a new VD.

* Citigroup will be selling its share of a Brazilian credit card company as the U.S.’ biggest bank faces mounting losses.

* Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa unveiled plans to decentralize the federal government and grant more power to provinces.

* Three senior police officials were among the six killed in a series of “linked shootings” in Tijuana, Mexico.

Sources- Wikipedia, Reuters, Bloomberg, Monsters & Critics, BBC News

Image- FOX News

Daily Headlines: October 16, 2007

* The latest issue of the Brazilian version of Playboy is a hit; the centerfold is a senator being investigated for corruption.

* Costa Rica’s government proposed a new land reform program…for endangered turtles.

* Christopher Columbus’ status is not only controversial in the Americas. The Spanish descendents of the captains of the Nina and Pinta want their own holiday, too.

* Follow-up: Animal welfare groups are helping Puerto Rican tenants file lawsuits after their pets were seized and thrown off a fifty-foot bridge.

Image- Wooster Collective (Street art in Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Sources- Bloomberg, Reuters, International Herald Tribune, CBC, New York Daily News, The Latin Americanist

Video of the Day: Kermit and Columbus

Later today we'll delve into the controversy surrounding honoring Christopher Columbus with his own holiday including which historical figures may be more deserving of the honor.

In the meantime, we have a quasi-exclusive video of Columbus departing from Spain (video link):

Amazing how one could find a talking frog with a microphone in 15th-century Spain, huh?

Sources- Vivirlatino, YouTube