Columbus took 36 days to cross the Atlantic. Chula Vista took 488 days to banish a 10-foot statue of him from Discovery Park. But the Italian explorer didn’t have to navigate a worldwide pandemic and reckoning on racial justice issues.
After 3 hours of discussion including educators, Kumeyaay Indian officials, Knights of Columbus and Italian group reps — the Chula Vista City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday night to permanently remove the oft-vandalized statue from the park. Mayor Mary Salas spoke of her Mexican heritage but also revealed a DNA test found Italian ancestry. (“Who knew?” she said.)
