Salvadoran Artist Óscar Pérez’s Artwork Damage Case Enters Formal Investigation

The 2nd Peace Court of Suchitoto has moved the criminal case over the destruction of Óscar Pérez’s installation “De ciudadelas, urbanismo y distopías flotantes” into a formal instruction phase. The court imposed substitute measures on the accused, Rodrigo Leiva and the Asociación Patronato Restauración Cultural de la Ciudad de Suchitoto, requiring them to appear periodically before the judge and to refrain from any contact with the artist.

The artwork, which had been displayed in the lobby of Teatro Alejandro Cotto in Suchitoto, was dismantled in August 2024 without Pérez’s permission. The artist’s four‑year‑long project was reduced to rubble and stored in cardboard boxes, prompting a formal complaint for property damage. This marks the first time Salvadoran courts have treated the destruction of a visual‑art piece as a criminal offence, setting a precedent for the protection of artistic heritage under penal law.