De la Espriella Targets Wokeism and Petro’s Revisionism of Colombia’s M-19

President Abelardo de la Espriella has directed the Culture Minister, Paola Holguín, to remove references to M-19 guerrilla commander Carlos Pizarro from public spaces across Colombia. This marks a new effort to combat what the president describes as "wokeism" and Petro's reinterpretation of Colombia's past. Speaking at the Ministry of Culture on Thursday, De la Espriella emphasized that his administration would not tolerate the glorification of terrorism in government institutions, vowing to ensure that representations of Pizarro and other former guerrilla figures are removed from public spaces.

The directive is part of a larger campaign against what De la Espriella calls "wokeism," which he claims has infiltrated Colombia's cultural institutions and shaped the nation's identity. In addition to the cultural campaign, De la Espriella announced plans to rename the Ministry of Culture, Arts, and Knowledge as the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, reversing a change made by former President Gustavo Petro.

However, the debate extends beyond language and institutional names, raising the question of whether Colombia's recent history has been rewritten to elevate former insurgents while marginalizing the civilians who suffered under their rule. The controversy intensified after a Bogotá councillor, Andrés Barrios, criticized displays at the National Museum for their alleged justification of guerrilla organizations while downplaying the victims' experiences.

De la Espriella has tasked Holguín with leading the cultural campaign, but the president has not specified which displays or works will be removed, leaving the scope of the directive uncertain. The issue at hand is whether public institutions should present a history that acknowledges the victims' experiences, rather than being overshadowed by the political ideologies of those who once fought against the state.