A Colombian judge on Monday ordered the nation’s government to protect more than 30 historical artifacts that officials removed from exhibits in Bogota’s National Museum last week, as part of an effort by Colombia’s conservative government to change how the nation’s history is told in museums and schools.
The artifacts were related to the country’s social movements and guerrilla fighters, which have led critics to describe the initiative as an attack on leftist movements and sexual minorities.
In a ruling Monday, Bogota judge Cesar Enrique Osorio said that the objects, which include a copy of the first magazine published by Colombia’s LGBTQ+ community and a poster depicting a former guerrilla leader who later became a presidential candidate, should be preserved in a safe place while a ruling is made on whether they should once again be shown to the public.
The judge also ordered officials to refrain from removing any more objects from the museum’s exhibits, alleging that the rights of Colombians to free expression and historical memory could be jeopardized.
The removal of dozens of objects from the national museum’s exhibit halls last Thursday sparked protests outside the historical building over the weekend that lasted several hours and were eventually broken up by riot police.
Feminist groups, left wing activists, and members of Bogota’s LGBTQ+ community have accused the government of conservative president Abelardo de la Espriella of trying to erase their constituencies from the nation’s historical record.
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