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Museo Nacional de Colombia: Government removes over 30 historical pieces
The Colombian government, under President Abelardo de la Espriella, has ordered the removal of more than 30 historical and artistic pieces from the Museo Nacional de Bogotá. The items, primarily from the ‘Hacer sociedad’ gallery, include materials related to feminism, LGBTIQ+ rights, the 1991 Constitution, and the 2016 peace agreement with the Farc, such as the Balígrafo. Other removed items include campaign posters for assassinated political figures Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa and Carlos Pizarro Leongómez.
Minister of Culture Paola Holguín defended the decision, stating that the museum must not serve as an instrument for political indoctrination or promote what the administration calls ‘woke culture’ and ‘social-communism’. The government characterized the removal as part of a cultural counter-revolution to prevent the exaltation of individuals linked to terrorism.
The move has sparked widespread condemnation from the artistic community. Six major modern art museums in Colombia issued a joint statement demanding curatorial autonomy and criticizing the decision as an ideological intervention. In Bogotá, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the museum to denounce censorship. The demonstrations turned violent on Saturday night when riot police (UNADI) used water cannons, tear gas, and stun grenades to disperse the crowds, an action described by the Defensoría del Pueblo as ‘unnecessary and disproportionate’.
Entities
Abelardo De La Espriella · Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa · Bogotá · Carlos Pizarro Leongómez · Colombia Diversa · Iván Cepeda · Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y los Saberes · Museo Nacional de Colombia · Museo Nacional de Colombia · Paola Holguín
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 11 SOURCES] The decision affected works related to LGBTIQ+ rights and feminism. diariodelnorte.net · www.colombia.com · ameve.eu · www.las2orillas.co · www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · +4 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] The Colombian government ordered the removal of more than 30 pieces from the Museo Nacional de Bogotá. ameve.eu · diariodelnorte.net · uruguayaldia.com.uy · www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · crprensa.com · +4 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] President Abelardo de la Espriella stated the government must prevent cultural spaces from being captured by social-communism. www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · ameve.eu · www.tvn-2.com · dominicanrepublicpost.com · crprensa.com · +3 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] The removal included campaign posters for assassinated political figures Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa and Carlos Pizarro Leongómez. ameve.eu · uruguayaldia.com.uy · laopinion.co · www.las2orillas.co · crprensa.com · +3 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] The removal of the pieces sparked protests and demonstrations by citizens and social collectives. diariodelnorte.net · ameve.eu · primeraedicioncol.com · paragrafo.co · www.tvn-2.com · +5 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] Minister of Culture Paola Holguín defended the decision, stating the museum should not be an instrument for political indoctrination. diariodelnorte.net · uruguayaldia.com.uy · www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · www.colombia.com · ameve.eu · +1 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] Removed items include the Balígrafo, used to sign the 2016 peace agreement with the Farc. ameve.eu · www.colombia.com · diariodelnorte.net · uruguayaldia.com.uy · esferapublica.org · +1 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Senator Iván Cepeda criticized the move as an attempt to limit the country's historical memory. laopinion.co