Colombian President Sparks Controversy by Removing 'Communist' Exhibits from National Museum

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has initiated a cultural "counterrevolution," leading to the removal of numerous exhibits from the National Museum. This move has ignited protests and drawn comparisons to United States President Donald Trump. De la Espriella, a conservative figure and ally of Trump, stated last week his intention to prevent cultural institutions from being influenced by what he terms "atheist social communism." Consequently, exhibits that explored the history of social movements, including feminist and LGBTQ+ activism, as well as Colombia's political violence, have been taken down.

These changes have prompted outcry from civil rights groups, artists, and students, who accuse the government of censorship and warn of the potential erasure of significant historical narratives. On Wednesday, dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the National Museum in downtown Bogota, with riot police present at the entrance. "I find it outrageous that they want to erase part of our history," expressed Azul Riascos, a history student, who argued that the government is promoting a singular vision of Colombia as exclusively white, Catholic, and Spanish-speaking, thereby excluding Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ communities.

Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli, director for the Andes at the Washington Office on Latin America, noted that the Colombian government's approach mirrors a wider trend among Trump allies who are adopting US political rhetoric and tactics. Trump has previously voiced strong criticism of museums in Washington, particularly those affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. In July, the White House released a report labeling leaders at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History as radical activists and mandated the installation of signs indicating that some exhibits were inaccurate, though these signs have yet to appear. The museum's director, Anthea Hartig, informed Congress that the White House report did not accurately represent the museum's work.

Sanchez-Garzoli further commented that Trump's collaboration with allied Latin American governments on security and counternarcotics efforts also carries an ideological undertone. Anthropologist Arturo Sanabria described the Colombian government's actions as a form of neocolonial intervention, linking it to imported narratives about terrorism and being "woke." Colombia's Culture Minister Paola Holguin confirmed that the government is reviewing and revising exhibitions and curatorial practices in other museums under her ministry's purview. The Foreign Ministry also renamed a courtyard previously honoring an Indigenous leader, framing the change as part of the president's campaign against "woke" ideology. Political scientist Estefania Cardozo remarked outside the museum that the government is engaged in a manufactured cultural battle, attempting to erase existing identities.