Since President Hugo Chavez's recent decree, October 14, formerly known as “Columbus Day”, will now be celebrated in Venezuela as “The Day of Indigenous Resistance” to honor the nation's indigenous people and their struggles. Representatives of various indigenous groups gathered outside his office to celebrate the signing of the decree. There are approximately 350,000 indigenous peoples from 28 distinct ethnic groups in the country of 24 million. Some critics maintain that the decree was a calculated move to maintain Chavez's support among indigenous communities due to increasing opposition to his government.
