PoS council dodges Columbus statue issue

PORT of Spain mayor Joel Martinez says he and his council have decided to step back from the issue of the removal of the statue of Christopher Columbus from southeast Port of Spain.

Martinez made the announcement during the city corporation's statutory meeting on Wednesday. He said the matter will be directed to central government, as it constitutes a "national issue," and not one affecting only people living in and around the capital.

Last week Martinez received a petition for the statue's removal which had almost 8,000 signatures.

The petition was delivered by Shabaka Kambon of the Cross Rhodes Freedom Project with the support of the Warao Nation, along with other groups and individuals opposed to the statue's remaining in place.

At the statutory meeting, Martinez said the petition will be returned to the author for necessary adjustments.

An employee at the City Council said the petition was not addressed or structured properly.