Columbus died in the Spanish city of Valladolid in 1506. He had wished to be buried on Hispaniola, which is now divided into Haiti and the Dominican Republic. His remains were brought there in 1542 and were then moved to Cuba in 1795, and finally to Seville in 1898.
Sponsored by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Columbus completed four voyages for Spain across the Atlantic Ocean. However, his conquests – and the subsequent genocide and colonisation of Indigenous people in the Americas – have been widely condemned. As a result, many states and cities in the United States have decided to rename Columbus Day, the holiday in honour of the explorer, to recognise the violence committed against Native Americans since Columbus and his crews arrived on shore.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 