BOGOTÁ, Colombia — A Colombian judge ordered the government on Monday to protect more than 30 historical artifacts removed from displays at the National Museum in Bogotá, as the conservative administration seeks to reshape how Colombian history is presented in museums and schools.
The objects relate to social movements and guerrilla fighters, prompting critics to characterize the initiative as an attack on leftist movements and sexual minorities.
In Monday’s ruling, Bogotá judge César Enrique Osorio said the artifacts, including a copy of the first magazine published by Colombia’s LGBTQ+ community and a poster depicting a former guerrilla leader who later ran for president, should remain in a secure location while the court determines whether they should be returned to public display.
The judge also barred officials from removing additional objects from the museum, finding that doing so could jeopardize Colombians’ rights to freedom of expression and historical memory.
The removal of dozens of items from the museum’s exhibition halls last Thursday sparked protests that continued for several hours over the weekend before riot police dispersed the crowds.
Feminist groups, left-wing activists and members of Bogotá’s LGBTQ+ community have accused conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella of attempting to erase their communities from the country’s historical record.
De la Espriella, in a Thursday speech at the Ministry of Culture, called on officials to protect the country’s cultural heritage and confront what he described as “wokeism” and “moral relativism.”
“The extreme left has permeated all facets of society for decades, particularly the cultural and academic spheres,” de la Espriella said. “We have the duty to confront it, exalting the principles that Colombians value.”
The president also argued that cultural institutions “belong to all Colombians” and should not be used to promote political doctrines or an “ideological” interpretation of history.
Among the objects removed from the museum were a pen used to sign the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC rebels. Conservatives have long criticized the accord as too lenient toward the rebels and for failing to prevent new waves of violence in rural areas.
Another removed item was a campaign poster featuring Carlos Pizarro, a former leader of the M-19 guerrilla movement. The group signed a peace agreement with the government in March 1989 that pardoned its leaders for kidnappings and other wartime crimes. Pizarro was assassinated a month later while running for president.
De la Espriella said last week that cultural institutions should not “promote terrorism” or portray guerrilla members “as if they were national heroes.”
Pizarro’s daughter, former Sen. María José Pizarro, said the museum’s exhibits had been altered abruptly and without technical criteria.
“My father is a symbol of rebellion against tyranny,” Pizarro said in a video published on her social media accounts. “We will not allow sexual minorities to be censored in Colombia, nor will we allow the memory and lives of left-wing leaders to be persecuted.”