The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket

The removal of Columbus statue in T&T.

sgtdjones 8/9/25, 12:21:47 AM
sgtdjones avatar image

debut: 2/16/17
40,136 runs

Columbus Comes Down: Does Symbolism Really Change Trinidad and Tobago?

Recently, the Columbus statue was removed from its prominent perch in Trinidad and Tobago—an act that, for some, felt long overdue. For others, it raised questions that still linger in the air. I can appreciate that the statue will be preserved in a museum, where future generations might see, firsthand, the likeness of Columbus and reflect on the complicated legacy he left behind. But it makes me question whether this symbolic act is truly addressing the more profound divisions in our society.

Let's face it: unemployment, poverty, and crime remain significant issues. Does the removal of a statue, no matter how controversial it may be, actually have an effect on matters that people face on a daily basis? There are moments when it seems like we're allowing our emotions to guide choices that are ultimately more symbolic than important. Is the notion that removing a monument will make the suffering of the past go away unrealistic?

Yes, history cannot be changed. Is this, however, the most effective way to enhance the future? I find it hard to understand how a statue that has been ignored for so long could have such influence over the world we live in today. The notion that its absence could in some way usher in a new period of prosperity seems like a leap of faith to me.

I'm also wondering about the practicalities. What is the estimated cost of the new monument? More significantly, will it truly stand for all the individuals whose lives were influenced—and occasionally damaged—by Columbus' legacy? Decolonization is a process, and while gestures are important, inclusivity is more important.

Unquestionably, the removal of statues is a deeply symbolic act. We know from history that when monuments fall, governments change and societies draw boundaries. If so, though, why didn't Dr. Eric Williams, the first prime minister, take this action? He knew full well that Columbus had brought destruction. He left the statue in place and left the colonial-sounding street names in place. Why did we wait so long to take action?

It is worthwhile to ask these questions in order to consider how we approach the future as well as to evaluate the past. Maybe it's time for all of our leaders, including the mayors, to take a close look at the symbols and monuments in their local communities. Are they artifacts that obstruct the way to a more inclusive society, or do they actually reflect the people they serve?

Perhaps the question of whether we are prepared to put in the effort necessary for genuine change is more important than the arguments over stone and bronze in the end. The removal of any monument, no matter how symbolic, may only provide a surface solution until we address the underlying problems that beset us.

Sarge
- edited -
Halliwell 8/9/25, 12:29:18 AM
Halliwell avatar image

debut: 5/14/05
24,942 runs

It DISTRACTS the population so what better time
sgtdjones 8/9/25, 12:31:57 AM
sgtdjones avatar image

debut: 2/16/17
40,136 runs

In reply to Halliwell

It DISTRACTS the population so what better time


It's the PNM mayor of Port of Spain that is removing it.

Can you educate us on what he is distracting?
- edited -
Halliwell 8/9/25, 12:32:40 AM
Halliwell avatar image

debut: 5/14/05
24,942 runs

In reply to sgtdjones

From the more important matters that concern people
sgtdjones 8/9/25, 12:36:51 AM
sgtdjones avatar image

debut: 2/16/17
40,136 runs

In reply to Halliwell

So the PNM mayor is helping the UNC government....okkkkkkk

I see with such logical thinking why your Britain is in such a mess.

City starts process to remove Columbus statue

The controversial Christopher Columbus statue in Port-of-Spain is one step closer to being removed, as city officials have begun technical and stakeholder consultations on its relocation.

Port-of-Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne, along with representatives from the National Trust, the Santa Rosa First Peoples community, and the city’s engineering team, toured Columbus Square in Port-of-Spain yesterday to assess how best to carry out the removal.

“We’re doing our first technical site visit with all the stakeholders,” Alleyne said.

“We’re making sure we’re on the same page about the best way to implement the decision and that it can be done within a reasonable time frame.”

The statue, long criticised as a symbol of colonial violence, has been defaced multiple times over the years—painted red, its hands sawn off, and bags placed over its head.

Alleyne confirmed the statue will be transferred to the National Museum once the facility is ready. Asked whether he was concerned there might be more vandalism of the statue, he said no.
- edited -
Brerzerk 8/9/25, 12:42:48 AM
Brerzerk avatar image

debut: 3/16/21
13,119 runs

Writer conflate unrelated issues in a quest to make a particular Socio-political criticisms
- edited -
sgtdjones 8/9/25, 12:48:07 AM
sgtdjones avatar image

debut: 2/16/17
40,136 runs

In reply to Brerzerk

Please do show where such exists or maybe answer the questions posed in the blog.
Halliwell 8/9/25, 7:01:17 AM
Halliwell avatar image

debut: 5/14/05
24,942 runs

In reply to Brerzerk

You are so correct.
And sarge can’t see beyond the UNC vs PNM in this. So for his benefit, ‘at least’ the mayor is doing something forward thinking not looking back.
granite 8/9/25, 11:43:47 AM
granite avatar image

debut: 11/1/13
14,681 runs

In reply to Halliwell

OK let the people decide to change the name Trinidad and the capital Port of Spain to another name more suited to the people of TT,also change all the Spanish names of places in TT to names that suits the people who live in TT.The Mayor is an uneducated skunt with to much time to waste.Why are our people getting so tetchy about things that doesn't affect their lives.
sgtdjones 8/9/25, 7:39:25 PM
sgtdjones avatar image

debut: 2/16/17
40,136 runs

In reply to granite

The PNM mayor decided to do Columbus removal...I reckon Port of Spain is next.

The funds should be spent cleaning up the clogged drains in Port of Spain; when it rains, it floods the city.

The Columbus statue is important. Amazing, isn't it?

You have posted an excellent answer...let's see the rebuttal.
imusic 8/9/25, 8:53:32 PM
imusic avatar image

debut: 11/13/02
80,836 runs

In reply to Halliwell

It DISTRACTS the population so what better time

To be replaced by a statue of Modi?

Or Eric? cool
- edited -
Halliwell 8/9/25, 9:16:54 PM
Halliwell avatar image

debut: 5/14/05
24,942 runs

In reply to imusic

cool
Jumpstart 8/9/25, 10:09:13 PM
Jumpstart avatar image

debut: 11/30/17
12,703 runs

In reply to granite

The Mayor is an uneducated skunt with to much time to waste.Why are our people getting so tetchy about things that doesn't affect their lives.

The mayor actually is a graduate of both QRC and the University of Leeds so you’ll have to qualify that. Because most of Trinidad’s citizens under a certain age are owners of degrees or some post secondary education and it is a deeply ignorant society. When you have ppl from the University telling us we have to imitate Japan as if we are going to get billion dollar low interest loans to further economic development from the sky as they were in the late 50s, then you know the country is woefully ignorant
- edited -
sgtdjones 8/9/25, 10:40:02 PM
sgtdjones avatar image

debut: 2/16/17
40,136 runs

..............

Why Eric didn’t remove “it” or change Spanish/colonial names: If you mean Dr. Eric Williams, his post‑independence project leaned toward building new institutions rather than sweeping place‑name changes. Spanish toponyms predate the British and are woven into national identity; renaming can be costly, divisive, and not necessarily a priority when you’re tackling economy, literacy, and state‑building. Many postcolonial governments kept historical names while reframing their meaning.

Manning's relative POS mayor decided to get rid of the statue. He is PNM .

Why would anyone mention Modi? ... it tells a story, doesn't it?
It’s more narrative framing than substance, sometimes to suggest diaspora alignment, sometimes to paint opponents with the brush of Hindu nationalism, and sometimes simply to court an audience.

Does it fit in with Gonzales?

He questioned the state board's appointments as being in Bangladesh or India.
- edited -
sgtdjones 8/9/25, 10:46:12 PM
sgtdjones avatar image

debut: 2/16/17
40,136 runs

Columbus statue in care of National Trust

THE Christopher Columbus statue was removed from the corner of Duncan Street and Independence Square on August 6, following an announcement by Port of Spain mayor Chinua Alleyne on August 1.
Its removal caused a sleepless but celebratory night for Cross Rhodes Freedom Project director Shabaka Kambon.

He was present at the site when Grand Chief of the First Natives Sovereign Nation Eric Lewis performed a smoke cleansing ceremony after the statue’s removal. That group also celebrated the removal on August 7.

The Port of Spain City Corporation said in a social media post on August 7 that following extensive discussions and technical assessment, the corporation successfully removed the Columbus statue last night from Independence Square.“The exercise commenced at approximately 10 pm on August 6 to minimise traffic disruption in the capital city,” it said.
sgtdjones 8/9/25, 11:03:34 PM
sgtdjones avatar image

debut: 2/16/17
40,136 runs

In reply to Jumpstart

Education is an achievement, not a guarantee of judgment. You can boast QRC and the University of Leeds on your résumé and still misread the room.
Port of Spain’s mayor faces urgent, tangible problems—drainage, waste, public safety, small-business vitality—that affect residents every hour of every day.
Debates over statues carry symbolic weight, but symbolism without service rings hollow.
Priorities aren’t just statements; they’re budgets, timelines, and results.
Start with what people feel underfoot—then we can tackle what stands on a plinth.
Jumpstart 8/10/25, 12:04:09 AM
Jumpstart avatar image

debut: 11/30/17
12,703 runs

In reply to sgtdjones

Local government can’t attract investment into the city. Firstly the rents are virtually all in the hands of private entities. Secondly, any sort of investment thrust requires the support of central government. And so far no central government in the last 15 years, PNM or UNC has shown much interest in the revitalization of POS. The only thing Port of Spain is failing at that local government can control is the amount of homeless people. The last person, I believe it was Mayor Lee Sing, who made a concerted effort at removing vagrants was confronted with legal challenges across the high court. One dude made a residence in Laperouse cemetery actually had lawyers who were willing to fight his case, and if I’m not mistaken it went either to the appeal court or the privy council. He lost of course but that a simple judgement could require so much resources, which are already limited, must be demoralizing
- edited -
Jumpstart 8/10/25, 12:06:48 AM
Jumpstart avatar image

debut: 11/30/17
12,703 runs

In reply to sgtdjones

Education is an achievement, not a guarantee of judgment. You can boast QRC and the University of Leeds on your résumé and still misread the room.

This is why I mentioned Trinidad university lecturers actually mentioning Japan, a country that benefited from billions of dollars in US developmental loans as a realistic example for a SID state, which clearly it is not
sgtdjones 8/10/25, 4:09:19 AM
sgtdjones avatar image

debut: 2/16/17
40,136 runs

In reply to Jumpstart

Just look at the financials the Central Bank produces; it tells a sad tale of debt now.
Halliwell 8/10/25, 9:26:41 AM
Halliwell avatar image

debut: 5/14/05
24,942 runs

In reply to sgtdjones

Just a theory so don’t hang me
The Modey reference may be hinting at something of substance

A few months ago a poster posted or authored a very long post on national identity, freedom, and a people finding their voice in their developing post independence culture.

It was on Sipari Mai.

The good thing about Siparia, Point and Fyzo is that they don’t face “ urgent, tangible problems—drainage, waste, public safety, small-business vitality—that affect residents every hour of every day.”
granite 8/10/25, 12:18:22 PM
granite avatar image

debut: 11/1/13
14,681 runs

In reply to Jumpstart

Thank you sarge.
sgtdjones 8/10/25, 2:21:20 PM
sgtdjones avatar image

debut: 2/16/17
40,136 runs

In reply to Halliwell

The argument over removing the Columbus statue in Port of Spain keeps getting dragged into the weeds, and that’s not a bug—it’s a strategy. When a debate about public honour turns into a tour of Modi, Siparia Mai, Fyzabad, and Point Fortin, you’re not witnessing nuance; you’re watching deflection. The core question is simple: should a city continue to bestow civic honour on a figure whose legacy is interwoven with conquest, enslavement, and dispossession? Everything else either clarifies that question or obscures it. Too often, we’re getting the latter.

Start with the false equivalence. Columbus in a city square is a state-curated honour. Public statuary is not neutral “history”; it’s a choice about who we elevate as exemplary. Siparia Mai, by contrast, is a living religious symbol sustained by communities across traditions. One is a municipal endorsement of a historical figure; the other is a plural, devotional practice. Conflating the two is sloppy at best and manipulative at worst. If the goal is to test whether Trinidad and Tobago should privilege one community over another, then say that. But don’t hide that provocation inside a bad analogy.

Then there’s the geographical whataboutism. Bringing up Fyzabad, Point Fortin, and Siparia to argue “fix basic services first” pretends to be about priorities while quietly sidestepping jurisdiction. The Port of Spain mayor cannot pave every road in Point Fortin; that is not how the state is structured. Invoking decades of neglect—since Eric Williams, no less—amounts to an unforced confession of national policy failure. It doesn’t answer the municipal question in front of us: what values do we inscribe in the capital’s public space, and by what process?

Speaking of process, the silence is telling. A legitimate heritage decision rests on transparent criteria and inclusive consultation. Were First Peoples’ organizations, descendants of enslaved Africans, Indo-Trinbagonian groups, historians, and business associations meaningfully consulted? Was there published evidence of public sentiment, costed options, and heritage impact? If not, both defenders and critics of removal are leaning on vibes—and that’s not governance. It should trouble everyone that we’re debating talking points rather than a clear, documented process.

Let’s also confront the substance head-on. Columbus’s presence in a prominent civic space isn’t a benign nod to “discovery.” It signals an older narrative in which European expansion is framed as heroic inevitability and the violence that followed is footnoted. Trinidad and Tobago owes its very demography to that violence—First Peoples decimated, African enslavement, Indian indentureship. Saying so isn’t “erasing history.” Placing a contested figure in a museum with rigorous context is how responsible societies teach history without venerating it.

The Modi detour deserves a line only because it reveals the playbook. Dragging in unrelated leaders or foreign culture wars is a way to turn a local heritage question into a partisan loyalty test. It’s noise designed to harden identities rather than illuminate facts. If there’s a serious comparative point—say, how political actors instrumentalize cultural symbols to consolidate power—make it with evidence. Otherwise, it’s intellectual litter.

A harder truth sits beneath all this: we treat monuments as symbolic bargaining chips because we don’t invest in the institutions that could adjudicate these questions well. If Port of Spain had a standing heritage commission with statutory authority, published criteria, and rotating civic representation, we wouldn’t be haggling on talk shows and Facebook threads. We’d be working through a known process: inventory, consultation, options (retain with context, relocate to museum, commission replacement), public comment, and final decision with reasons. We’d also be budgeting for conservation and storytelling, not just installation and outrage.

Critics of removal should be honest about what they’re defending: not “history,” but an honorific. Supporters of removal should be honest about what comes next: not a vacuum, but a responsibility to curate memory with care. If you take Columbus down, you should be ready to say who or what goes up and why—whether that’s a First Peoples leader, a labour movement figure, a theme like “Arrival and Resistance,” or even an artwork that confronts the entanglement of conquest and Creole modernity. Replacing one unexamined hero with another is not progress; it’s a costume change.

Finally, the neglect argument. Yes, many communities outside the capital have been starved of investment across multiple administrations. But using that as a cudgel here is a category error. You don’t prove that a city should keep honouring Columbus by pointing to a pothole in Point Fortin. If anything, the habit of invoking distant neglect to avoid near accountability is part of the problem. It normalizes a politics that can’t hold two tasks in its head at once: deliver services and curate symbols responsibly. A mature polity does both.

So let’s strip the debate to its load-bearing beams:

Public statues are honours. Do we still consent to honouring Columbus? If yes, justify it in today’s moral language, not yesterday’s myth.
Decisions require a process. Publish the consultation, the criteria, the options, and the reasons.
Comparisons must be coherent. Religious icons are not municipal honours; foreign strongmen are not relevant unless you can show a direct, evidence-based analogue.
If we can’t meet that bar, then the noise is the message: we’re more invested in scoring points than shaping a public realm that reflects who we are. Trinidad and Tobago deserves better than that—clear principles, an open process, and a cityscape that teaches history without kneeling to it.

Sarge
- edited -