Thousands of Colombians peacefully rallied across the country Oct. 14 against the far-right policies of President Abelardo de la Espriella, little more than two months after he took office. They criticized his proposed social spending cuts, his alignment with Trump, and his hardline military approach to decades of armed-group violence. Earlier this month, de la Espriella announced a “counterterrorism statute” that many fear could restrict democratic rights. (TNH)
Throughout the past week, hundreds of Colombians also gathered in front of Bogotá’s National Museum to protest the government’s recent decision to remove works of art that it argued promoted terrorism. On Oct. 18, protesters were attacked by riot police, who used tear-gas to disperse them.
De la Espriella announced the purge of the National Museum on Oct. 15, during a speech in which he declared a wider war against “wokismo,” which he called a “freedom-destroying movement.” Of the nearly 50 works removed from the museum, the vast majority were dedicated to LGBTQ+ issues, women’s rights, the 2016 Peace Agreement, and Colombia’s popular social movements. On Oct. 19, a judge in Bogotá temporarily ordered the Ministry of Culture to refrain from removing more works from the museum, citing the need to protect “historical memory.” (NACLA Update)
