De la Espriella announces “open, resolute, and patriotic struggle against wokeism”

Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella declared an "open, resolute, and patriotic struggle against wokeism" as part of his "cultural counterrevolution." During a visit to the Culture Ministry, de la Espriella described wokeism as an ideology seeking to alter moral, cultural, and social foundations in the West, undermining values, family traditions, and national identity.

According to the president, Culture Minister Paola Holguin, the daughter of a suspected money launderer, would spearhead the "Culture War" against the "extreme left," which he claims has infiltrated every aspect of society, particularly cultural and academic realms. De la Espriella emphasized that culture holds immense power to shape society, and thus, the State bears a moral, unavoidable, and political responsibility to deter cultural spaces from being dominated by what he perceives as atheist and anti-nation forces.

The National Museum removed references to the Patriotic Union party, slain guerrilla leader Carlos Pizarro, and the LGBT+ rights movement amid this ideological purge, labeling the removal as an attempt to reclaim pride in Colombian culture. Both atheists and Pizarro family members, as well as gay rights advocates, objected to the president's actions to erase them from mainstream culture.