{
  "id": 14957776,
  "title": "De la Espriella Targets Wokeism and Petro’s Revisionism of Colombia’s M-19",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/de-la-espriella-targets-wokeism-and-petros-revisionism-of-colombias-m-14957776",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-16T12:54:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The City Paper Bogotá",
    "slug": "the-city-paper-bogota-thecitypap",
    "url": "https://thecitypaperbogota.com/news/de-la-espriella-targets-wokeism-and-petros-revisionism-of-colombias-m-19/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President Abelardo de la Espriella has directed Culture Minister Paola Holguín to remove imagery and references to former M-19 guerrilla leader Carlos Pizarro from public spaces across Colombia. This move comes as part of a larger effort to combat what the president labels \"wokeism\" and the revisionist interpretation of Colombia's internal conflict. At a meeting with Holguín, De la Espriella emphasized that his administration would not tolerate the glorification of terrorism in government institutions. He called for the removal of representations of Pizarro and other former guerrilla figures from public spaces, stating, \"Terrorists will never again have a place as if they were national heroes.\" The directive is part of a broader campaign against what De la Espriella terms \"wokeism,\" which he believes has infiltrated Colombia's cultural institutions and skewed the nation's identity. In addition to the name change for the Ministry of Culture, Arts, and Knowledge, the president also announced plans to rename it the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, reversing a decision made during the tenure of former president Gustavo Petro. The controversy surrounding Pizarro's legacy and the portrayal of Colombia's conflict has escalated following objections from Bogotá councillor Andrés Barrios, who criticized museum displays featuring Pizarro and historical narratives that justified the emergence of guerrilla organizations while downplaying the victims. De la Espriella's directive now extends beyond individual objects to encompass the broader historical representations in public institutions. The president's goal is to ensure that the history presented in these spaces does not overshadow the suffering of civilians while also acknowledging the legitimate political rehabilitation of former guerrilla commanders. The debate over how Colombia remembers its history is at the heart of this controversy, raising questions about whose narrative should be prioritized and how the nation's past can be represented in a way that honors both its revolutionary past and the victims of violence.",
  "summary": "President Abelardo de la Espriella has ordered Culture Minister Paola Holguín to remove images and references to former M-19 guerrilla commander Carlos Pizarro from government public spaces, opening a new front in the battle over how Colombia remembers its decades-long internal conflict. Speaking at the Ministry of Culture on Thursday, alongside Holguín, De la Espriella […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The City Paper Bogotá",
        "title": "De la Espriella Targets Wokeism and Petro’s Revisionism of Colombia’s M-19",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/de-la-espriella-targets-wokeism-and-petros-revisionism-of-colombias-m",
        "published": "2026-10-16T12:54:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}