The statue of Christopher Columbus in Miami survives October 12 and the electoral campaign

The statue of Christopher Columbus in Miami's Bayfront Park, vandalized with red paint last July Lynne Sladky (AP)

The bronze figure of Christopher Columbus in Bayfront Park, Miami, remains upright and intact despite popular discontent that covered it in red paint last July and threatened it again on Columbus Day.

The statue remains behind a fence since some protesters from the Black Lives Matter movement vandalized it as a sign of protest against the symbols of the country's racist history and colonization.

The city of Miami, which continues to celebrate Christopher Columbus Day on October 12, unlike other cities that have passed the Day of the Indigenous People, has kept the sculpture clean and protected so that it does not suffer the same fate as its counterparts. in other states.

God I hope protestors in Miami don't find out about this satue of Christopher Columbus in Bayfront Park pic.twitter.com/CThmclZpdK

- علیزہ 𓃥 (@HoneyBronzeRiot) June 10, 2020

The media tornado of the electoral campaign between President Donald Trump and the Democratic candidate Joe Biden keeps the spotlight on Florida, a state where 20% of the voters are Hispanics with roots in Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia and Puerto Rico.

Despite the popular claim of some Latin American sectors that condemn the colonization, the city has kept vandalism against the statues at bay since the racial protests.

The zero tolerance resolution for damage to public property with fines and arrests has assisted in this work.

The owner of a local tavern, Adam Gersten, even offered the city council $ 5,000 to remove the statue and not damage it during the July protests, according to the local newspaper

Gersten explains that there is a lot of controversy and opposing sides surrounding the narrative of colonization in the city.

Some citizens joined together to make a formal petition for the statue to be removed on the Change.org platform.

Shortly after the story of Gersten's bid to protect the figure was published, graffiti appeared on his premises that read: "If Colón goes, you too."