Columbus Day under President Hugo Chávez, the holiday was changed to "Día de la Resistencia Indígena" (Day of Indigenous Resistance) to commemorate the Indigenous peoples' resistance to European settlement. On October 12, 2004, a crowd of pro-government activists toppled the statue of Christopher Columbus in Caracas and sprayed allusive graffiti over its pedestal. The pro-Chávez website Aporrea wrote: "Just like the statue of Saddam in Baghdad, that of Columbus the tyrant also fell this October 12, 2004 in Caracas". The famous toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue had occurred the previous year. On September 21, 1994, Costa Rica changed the official holiday from
Indigenous Peoples' Day 29, 2008, as Indigenous Peoples' Day. In 1994, the United Nations declared an International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, establishing it on August 9. This international holiday has been celebrated also in various nations. The following locations celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day instead of Columbus Day, with the exceptions of Lewiston, New York, Tompkins County, New York, West Hartford, Connecticut, and Lawton, Oklahoma, which celebrate both. Indigenous Peoples' Day Indigenous Peoples' Day (Native's Day) is a holiday that celebrates and honors the Indigenous peoples of America and commemorates their shared history and culture. It is celebrated across the United States