Maduro Urges Spanish King to Apologize for 'Holocaust of Native Americans'

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has called on Spain to apologize for what he called a genocide following Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America.

MADRID (Sputnik) – The remarks were made on October 12 – a day when Columbus arrived in America. This day is celebrated as the Day of Hispanidad in Spain and as the Day of Indigenous Resistance in Venezuela.

"Instead of continuing to celebrate October 12, the Spanish crown must beg pardon of the peoples of America for the genocide, for the Holocaust of Native Americans the Spanish crown staged. A total of 80 million men and women were killed," Maduro was quoted as saying by El Mundo.

He added that Spain should declare October 12 a national day of mourning.

On October 12, 1492, Columbus’s ships reached the San Salvador Island, which is believed to be a part of the Bahamas. Despite the fact that Columbus was not the first European, who arrived in America, his discovery provided an impetus for further missions, which resulted in colonization of America and mass extermination of indigenous peoples.