A judge of Bogotá’s 24th Family Court, César Enrique Osorio, ordered the Ministry of Culture to reinstall artworks that were removed from the National Museum two weeks ago. The decision, issued after a tutela (extraordinary judicial action) filed by three individuals, gives the Ministry and the museum 48 hours to return the pieces. The artworks, which were part of an exhibition on left‑wing presidential candidates who were assassinated, as well as displays of the LGBT community and local feminist struggles, were taken down by Minister of Culture Paola Holguín. Holguín justified the removal by claiming the pieces represented “political indoctrination” and “biased versions of our history.” The action followed President Abelardo de la Espriella’s announcement of a campaign against “wokismo” and the start of a “cultural battle.” In his ruling, Judge Osorio instructed the Ministry of Culture and the museum to refrain from removing, donating or returning any of the dismantled works while the tutela is examined. The tutela alleges violations of several fundamental rights, including equality and non‑discrimination, freedom of expression, prohibition of censorship, truth and historical memory, human dignity, and cultural rights. The judge also directed the museum to avoid future removal of pieces on the basis of their content or viewpoint and to submit any modifications to the institution’s Heritage Management Committee for review. The controversy began when dozens of artworks addressing sexual diversity, feminism and peace processes were removed from the National Museum’s walls. Opponents of former President Gustavo Petro’s party filed the lawsuit, arguing that the government’s action constituted censorship and violated the right to equality and non‑discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. President de la Espriella stated that the state has a moral and political duty to prevent cultural spaces from being co‑opted by “atheist social communism” and to protect national values. His remarks sparked protests outside the museum, where police and riot control units were deployed. The demonstrations ended with clashes between demonstrators and uniformed officers, who used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Article source: Clarin Digital | Image credit: Clarin Digital