Colombian court orders preservation of LGBT exhibits removed from National Museum

Family Court No. 24 in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital, ordered the preservation of objects removed from the National Museum, including items linked to LGBT history, on October 19, 2026. According to El Colombiano, the order is an interim measure while a constitutional rights claim against the culture ministry and museum is considered. The display was changed on October 15.

The museum must not destroy or alter the disputed objects, take them outside its premises or return them to third parties. Further removals based on content require supporting administrative acts. The court also required an inventory within 24 hours of notification, identifying the objects, their location and condition, and who ordered their removal.

According to EFE, the objects include a Pride flag belonging to LGBT activist Elizabeth Castillo and a pen used to sign the 2016 peace agreement with the FARC guerrilla organisation. The changes also affected materials about feminism and victims of political violence.

Initial reports referred to around thirty objects. However, according to the clarified list published by El Espectador, an annex to the ministry’s response to the court lists 63 objects: 22 items from the museum collections, alongside loans, facsimiles and supporting materials.

In its October 20 response to the court, the ministry denied censorship and discrimination, cited instructions from Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella and said the changes reflected a review of the display and a commitment to educational neutrality. It said collection items were being kept in museum storage under appropriate conservation conditions. Culture Minister Paola Holguín had earlier defended the decision, saying the museum should not serve political indoctrination; the president demanded the removal from public spaces of what he considers glorification of terrorism.

The claim was brought by Colombian lawmaker Gabriel Becerra and representatives of LGBT groups León Zuleta and Revolución en Rosa. The court identified potential harm to rights concerning historical memory, truth and artistic expression. The order does not decide the merits of the dispute or require the objects to be returned to the galleries.

Cover: Peter Angritt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Archive photograph from 2015; resized and converted to WebP without cropping. The adapted image is distributed under the same licence.