Colombian president purges National Museum of works said to promote communism
Colombia's far-right President Abelardo de la Espriella has had works removed from the National Museum that are described as promoting communism. He says he will wage a "counterrevolution" against cultural institutions.
Colombia's far-right president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has moved to remove from the country's National Museum works that are described as promoting "communism", according to Al Jazeera. The step is part of a wider stance he has taken toward the state's cultural bodies.
The president has said publicly that he intends to wage a "counterrevolution" against cultural institutions. The statement suggests the museum may not be the only target and that his government intends to influence other areas of cultural life as well.
What is known
The source says only that works have been taken out of the National Museum and that the president presents his actions as a fight against a cultural sphere he considers ideologically unacceptable. It does not name the removed works or their authors, and it gives no figure for how many were affected. It also does not say how museum staff, artists or the opposition have responded.
It is therefore not yet clear how extensive the changes will be, or whether they will reach the collections of other state museums and cultural institutions. The situation is developing, and further details may emerge.
