THE Port of Spain City Council has decided to remove the bronze statue of Christopher Columbus from the nation's capital and rename Columbus Square.

The council plans to build a new monument to honour the victims of the subsequent genocide that the navigator's so-called "discovery" brought.

Speaking during the Kambule Street procession on August 1 to celebrate the 187th anniversary of the emancipation of African slaves, Port of Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne announced the move, among several other recent decisions, to not only celebrate local heroes but to ensure that future generations are educated and inspired.