Indigenous Resistance Day (Día de la Resistencia Indígena) is a national public holiday in Venezuela. It commemorates the struggles and resilience of Indigenous peoples against European colonization, particularly following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492.

When is Indigenous Resistance Day?

Indigenous Resistance Day in Venezuela is celebrated every year on October 12.

The following is the list of Indigenous Resistance Day from 2020 to 2049.

The History of Indigenous Resistance Day?

October 12, 1492 marks the day Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas, an event long celebrated as the beginning of the "Age of Discovery" and the encounter between Europe and the New World.

For centuries, this day was observed in many countries as Columbus Day, or Day of the Race, a holiday celebrating the blending of European and Indigenous cultures.

In Venezuela, it was previously celebrated under this colonial lens, emphasizing "cultural fusion" rather than the violence and displacement caused by colonization.

In 2002, President Hugo Chávez officially renamed the holiday to Indigenous Resistance Day. The change was part of Chávez's broader agenda of decolonization and recognition of Indigenous heritage.

This redefinition shifted the focus from "discovery" and "integration" to acknowledgment of the centuries-long resistance of Indigenous peoples against conquest, slavery, and cultural erasure.