This is not a fact. It is the author's claim and one I disagree with.
Las Casas and many other honorable Spaniards of the time would also disagree.
But he dared to do what others thought impossible, and the result was a changed world: the integration of two previously autonomous hemispheres
This part is quite true.
During the century after 1492 it is likely the population of the Americas decreased by 85% to 95%. This is the big "proof" given for the iniquity of Columbus and other Europeans.
However, the vast majority of this die-off was due to the merging of the American and Afro-Eurasian disease ecologies. Most of those who died during this period never saw a Spaniard or other European.
The Spaniards did not want this or do anything specific to cause it. Pretty much the same thing would have happened if the Indians had been more advanced and had sailed across to and "discovered" Europe or Asia.
Happy Columbus Day Everyone. We celebrate it and we enjoy it. We revel in our food, drink and America. To those that do not...we can understand as there are holidays we do not choose to observe either. That is the beauty of the America Columbus discovered. We can disagree about things. But...in the meantime...bring on the pasta, meatballs, brashola, sausage, crunchy bread, cheeses, wines and desserts. MANGIA!!!