A Celebration
Dia de la Raza?
Christopher Columbus.

Finally, Thursday or Friday night, about the 11 or 12 of October and a full Moon, a man named Rodriguez Bermejo or Rodrigo de Triana saw a white sand dune. He opened his eyes and saw land, immediately raced to a cannon and fired it, At the same time yelling: ‘Land! Land! The crew went up to the deck and remained there the rest of the night.

We don’t know exactly if that small fragment of land was the Island of San Salvador, Guanahani or Wattling.

Columbus wanted to make three more trips. But due to the magnitude of the task it was not possible. He wanted to be the owner and Lord of the new land discovered, even above the King of Spain in riches and power, but he found the monarch was opposed to that. The king did not give all that was promised and signed, to the Admiral. The monarch disowned and persecuted Columbus and a judge send him to prison chained.

Columbus was unable to finish the geographical reality of what he had discovered nor start productive colonies. He lost his prestige with the failures on expeditions and exploitations. He died almost forgotten.

October 10,2002
By Pete Bedoy