The Culture and Sport Commission in the Spanish Congress passed a non-binding resolution this Thursday urging the Spanish government to commemorate the five-hundredth anniversary of the arrival of conquistador Hernán Cortés in Mexico. One of the first Spanish colonisers of the Americas, he was an important figure in the genocide of the Aztecs. The motion was proposed by Ciudadanos and passed with 26 votes in favour, 9 against.
The news has been received with indignation by Native American communities. Activist Brett A Chapman, for example, tweeted criticism of the decision to "honor" Cortés "for slaughtering the Aztecs". Quoting a tweet from Spanish deputy Guillermo Díaz (Cs), who Chapman describes as a "populist", he says: "We Native Americans are tired of YOUR history".
Díaz's original tweet read: "Cs' proposal on Hernán Cortés has been approved. I believe that it's good new for everyone. Because our history is everyone's."
The Spanish government just approved a proposal to honor Conquistador Hernán Cortés for slaughtering the Aztecs. This populist Spanish politican says “I believe this is good news for everyone because our history belongs to ALL of us”
— Brett A. Chapman (@brettachapman) 14 de febrer de 2019
We Native Americans are tired of YOUR history https://t.co/Uuwenqiplp