Trinidad and Tobago debate the removal of Columbus statue and others

In a small auditorium in the seaside capital of Trinidad and Tobago, Christopher Columbus and other colonial-era figures came under scrutiny late Wednesday in a lengthy debate punctuated by snickers, applause, and outbursts.

The government had asked residents of the diverse twin-island nation in the eastern Caribbean if they wanted the removal of statues, signs, and monuments with colonial ties.

One by one, people of African, European,…