The international museum body CIMAM has spoken out against the removal of at least 30 artworks, photographs, documents and other objects from the permanent displays of the Museo Nacional de Colombia in Bogota. The objects were taken down on 15 October 2026 at the direction of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Knowledges, according to a statement issued by the CIMAM Museum Watch on 23 October.

The material removed documents feminist and LGBTQ+ movements, political violence, the constitutional process of 1991 and the 2016 peace agreement. CIMAM said it was joining ICOM Colombia, six museums of modern art, independent curators, artists, universities, cultural workers and civil society groups in the country in raising concern about how the decisions were taken and what they mean for public access to the nation's history.

The statement argues that museums should stay open to revisiting the histories they present, but that such revisions need research, professional judgement and real engagement with the communities whose histories are represented. It adds that including an object in a display does not amount to endorsing the people or movements it documents, and that removing material without a publicly stated curatorial reason risks shrinking the historical record available to citizens.

CIMAM also noted interim court measures dated 19 October that require the removed material to be preserved and restrict further removals without formal justification. It called on the Colombian authorities to explain the decisions and procedures involved, to uphold the museum's professional independence, and to ensure any review of the displays follows a transparent process involving museum staff and the communities concerned, with the aim of restoring public access to the removed material.