To: Ms. Alexandra Xanthaki
UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights
Dear Ms Xanthaki,
On behalf of AICA International, a global organization dedicated since 1948 to promoting and defending freedom of critical thought and artistic expression, we wish to express our deep concern about recent events surrounding the Cuenca Biennial in Ecuador.
According to official documentation submitted to the Ecuadorian judicial authorities, there have been threats, attempts at intimidation, and coercive demands related to the removal of a work currently on display sent by an organization Dios, Patria, Orden y Tradicion, as well as the receipt of an anonymous email warning of possible actions against the exhibition, the artist, and the staff involved. These acts, described in the complaint filed with the Azuay Provincial Prosecutor's Office, could constitute a direct risk to the integrity of those working at the Biennial and a serious interference with the normal development of a cultural event of high national and international relevance.
AICA International wishes to recall that artistic freedom and freedom of expression are fundamental pillars guaranteed both by the Constitution of Ecuador and by international instruments ratified by the country. Any attempt to restrict or intimidate artists, curators, cultural workers, or institutions violates these democratic principles and erodes the space for creation and debate that every society must protect.
We therefore respectfully urge the United Nations to take note of the seriousness of these events, to firmly support the ongoing investigation, and to guarantee the institutional protection necessary to preserve artistic freedom, the safety of the cultural community, and the full continuity of the Cuenca Biennial as a space for critical production and civic dialogue.
AICA International will closely monitor the situation and reaffirms its solidarity with the Biennial, its team, and the Ecuadorian artistic community, reiterating its ongoing commitment to the defense of creative freedom around the world.
Sincerely
On behalf of AICA
Malgorzata Kazmierczak, President of AICA International
Niilofur Farrukh, Chair of the Censorship Committee
*AICA has issued a formal letters urging close attention to the situation, support for the ongoing investigation, and protection for the artistic community, addressed to Ms. Alexandra Xanthaki (UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights), Ms. Irene Khan (Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion), Delegación Permanente de la República del Ecuador ante la UNESCO, Señora Gilda Alcívar García (Ministra de Educación, Deporte y Cultura) and Señora Romina Muñoz (Viceministra de Cultura).