Chiri's right. This is dispute is quite old -- as in centuries old. I'm surprised that it took everyone this long to get around to DNA testing the bones. When I suggested it years ago, my wife just laughed and said that neither Spain nor the DR would ever agree to that because they were both afraid what they might discover (perhaps even that
neither country has the bones!), and both preferred to continue claiming the bones without having to prove it.
My wife and I visited La Catedral de Sevilla in 1989. The Andalucian guide taking a group of us Spanish speakers through the cathedral proudly proclaimed that it was the resting place for Colon's bones. Of course my wife could not let that statement go unchallenged! Funny thing was, there was also a Venezuelan in the crowd who said that Venezuela also claims to have some of Colon's bones!
The guide shrugged and said that while many claimed to have the explorer's bones, "most experts agree" that they rested in Sevilla. My wife responded something to the effect that "most
Spanish experts" may agree, but the matter is still in debate in the rest of the world. That's about as far as she decided to take the matter -- unusual restraint on her part -- so as to not spoil our vacation day in argument with the guide.
I personally think the whole dispute's ridiculous, and as Chiri says, ultimately what difference will it make except perhaps to a few historians? I doubt that many people would make a special journey
anywhere just to see Columbus' bones.
I have to say that, as a tourist, I would probably prefer to visit the bones at the Catedral de Sevilla than I would at El Faro in SD. The former is lovely and worth visiting while in Seville, bones or no bones. I profoundly dislike El Faro, which I have always regarded as rather ugly and a huge boondoggle. I first visited SD in 1986 and moved there in late 1995, but it was 1998 before I made my first visit to El Faro -- even then only because of a visiting relative who insisted on seeing it. I always thought the money that the DR spends on lighting that thing's spotlights would be much better spent on lighting the city or further renovating Fort Ozama or further beautifying the Zona Colonial....
Regards,
Keith