Two climate activists in Spain defaced a Christopher Columbus painting with red paint during National Day celebrations at the Maritime Museum in Madrid, aiming to draw attention to “colonialism and ecological exploitation.” Members of the environmental group Futuro Vegetal threw biodegradable red paint on José Garnelo’s 1892 painting The First Tribute to Columbus on Sunday, October 12, during Spain’s grand National Day ceremonies. After splashing the paint, the activists unfurled a banner reading “October 12, nothing to celebrate. Ecosocial justice” before being arrested within minutes.
The two female activists were detained by police under charges of “damaging cultural heritage” after being stopped by museum security. Museum officials later announced that Garnelo’s painting was restored within a few hours and put back on display. However, the incident reignited debates in Spain about the preservation of historical symbols and the reassessment of the country’s colonial past.
In a statement, Futuro Vegetal said the action was intended to expose Spain’s ongoing neo-colonial policies and the exploitation of nature. Group spokesperson Luna Lagos stated that October 12 is “a day built on centuries of exploitation and extermination of the Indigenous peoples of Abya Yala — the American continent.” The activists emphasized that their protest targeted not only a historical symbol but also the modern capitalist-extractive system.
October 12 is celebrated in Spain as the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas in 1492. While the day is marked with military parades and royal ceremonies in Madrid, in much of Latin America it is regarded as the beginning of genocide and colonization. Mexico renamed the day in 2020 as Día de la Nación Pluricultural (“Day of the Pluricultural Nation”), while Argentina observes it as Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural (“Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity”). These changes reflect ongoing efforts to challenge Eurocentric historical narratives.
The Madrid protest not only questioned Columbus’s symbolic legacy but also served as a critique of Spain’s global role and historical responsibility. Futuro Vegetal further stated that ecological destruction is rooted in the same logic as historical colonialism, calling for a boycott of multinational corporations profiting from extractive projects on Indigenous lands.
