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
Pan American Day celebrated as Columbus Day in the United States. In the United States, Pan American Day is observed by Presidential proclamation on April 14. In addition, the entire week on which the holiday falls is observed as Pan American Week. On April 7, 2017, President Donald Trump proclaimed "Pan American Day" and Pan American Week on April 7, 2017. Pan American Day Pan American Day is a holiday observed by several countries in North and South America. It commemorates the First International Conference of American States which concluded on April 14, 1890, creating the International Union of American Republics, the forerunner