Colombia Council of State suspends recognition of Carlos Pizarro's hat as cultural heritage

Colombia’s Council of State has provisionally suspended Resolution 218, which had recognized the hat of Carlos Pizarro as national cultural heritage. Pizarro was the former leader of the M-19 guerrilla group who was assassinated in 1990.

The suspension follows a lawsuit claiming the Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Knowledge lacked the legal authority to issue the recognition. Plaintiffs argued that the resolution was based on outdated laws and failed to follow the specific procedures established by the General Culture Law.

The Council of State noted that, preliminarily, the Ministry bypassed the required legal process, which necessitates a favorable concept from the National Council of Cultural Heritage before declaring assets of cultural interest. The court indicated that while the Ministry can declare assets of interest, it cannot unilaterally recognize them as national heritage through the administrative act used in this instance.