MEXICO CITY — For Columbus Day — or Indigenous Peoples Day — Mexico City expected a protest calling for removal of a statue of the Spanish admiral, as has happened in some U.S. cities. But the city’s government made a surprise move, while the federal government demands apologies on another front. 

Mexico City's government removed the monument of Christopher Columbus and the Catholic evangelists during the weekend. 

Mexico City's mayor said the removal was for maintenance but invited citizens to reflect on the true legacy of Columbus and the so-called discovery of the Americas.

While some nationalists and human rights defenders celebrated the decision, others consider it a transgression and an indirect way to increase the social divide in Mexico.  

Like he did last year to the Spanish crown, the Mexican president is asking the Vatican to apologize for the damages brought to the indigenous communities during the European invasion.

And in Europe, the president's wife is touring major cities while trying to bring back historical artifacts.