Christopher Columbus monument, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Monument to Christopher Columbus (1451?-1506), located in a plaza in front of the Casa Rosada government palace, was inaugurated in 1921. It was a gift from the Italian-Argentinian community in response to a solicitation for proposals by a government commission in 1910 to commemorate independence from Spain, although the centennial emphasized Argentina’s European heritage. A noted Italian sculptor, Arnaldo Zocchi, created the monument from Italian marble. Zocchi later created another Columbus statue near Genoa, Columbus’s birthplace. The monument helped Italian immigrants gain acceptance in Argentina. The statue depicted Columbus holding a map and looking toward Europe. Original allegorical figures at the base of the column depicted science, genius, and Christian faith and justice, conveying European civilization's benefits brought to the New World by Columbus. At the request of the Centennial Commission, Zocchi added bas reliefs of Columbus, one depicting his request of the monarchs of Spain, Isabel and Ferdinand, to sail West; the other showing Columbus on his return, bringing indigenous slaves.
After protests beginning with the 1992 sesquicentennial of Columbus's arrival in America, the Columbus monument was removed in 2015.