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Trinidad is redrawing its coat of arms to remove Columbus' three famous ships

Shown is the statue of Christopher Columbus at Marconi Plaza in Philadelphia, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Shown is the statue of Christopher Columbus at Marconi Plaza in Philadelphia, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -

Officials in Trinidad and Tobago are redrawing the island鈥檚 for the first time since its creation in 1962 to remove references to European colonization in a move that many are celebrating.

Christopher Columbus鈥 three ships 鈥 the Pinta, the Ni帽a and the Santa Mar铆a 鈥 will be replaced with the steelpan, a popular percussion instrument that originated in the eastern Caribbean island.

Prime Minister Keith Rowley made the announcement on Sunday to a standing ovation, saying the coat of arms would be reconfigured before late September.

鈥淭hat should signal that we are on our way to removing the colonial vestiges that we have in our constitution,鈥 he said.

The current coat of arms also features hummingbirds, a palm tree and a scarlet ibis, Trinidad's national bird.

Rowley鈥檚 announcement comes roughly a week before Trinidad and Tobago is scheduled to hold a public hearing on whether certain statues, signs and monuments should be removed.

The upcoming change is part of a worldwide movement that aims to eradicate symbols of the colonial era, with statues of Columbus removed or toppled across the U.S. in recent years.

Columbus arrived in Trinidad and Tobago in 1498.

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