Noticias
The Department of Culture and the Federal Police sign an agreement for the protection of cultural heritage
March 28, 2018The Department of Culture of the Government of the Republic, through the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA), and the National Security Commission, through the Federal Police and the Gendarmerie Division, signed on Wednesday, March 28, the collaboration agreement Mission of Protection of Cultural Heritage, in the Jaime Torres Bodet Auditorium of the National Museum of Anthropology.
The agreement consists of carrying out joint actions between the cultural authorities and the Federal Police, such as the identification of cultural heritage and its protection, in order to prevent actions such as illegal collection and looting, through joint operations to prevent smuggling and campaigns to raise public awareness of the importance of protecting national heritage.
The ceremony was attended by the Secretary of Culture, María Cristina García Cepeda, the National Commissioner for Security, Renato Sales Heredia; Manelich Castilla Craviotto, General Commissioner of the Federal Police; Lidia Camacho, General Director of INBA; Diego Prieto, General Director of INAH; Benjamín Grajeda, Commissioner of the Gendarmerie Division and Fabrizio Parrulul, Chief Carabinieri of Protection of Italy's Cultural Heritage.
Maria Cristina Garcia Cepeda celebrated the signing of this agreement to launch a program that protects a historical legacy that is identity and pride of all Mexicans through actions that unite the wills of the institutions and professionals who define strategies in the prevention of damage, crime and thefts of this legacy.
She said that the historic decision of President Enrique Peña Nieto to create the Department of Culture underscores the commitment and reinforces the interest in safeguarding this rich heritage of our nation. This common heritage is a mirror in which we look at our time in history and that together as a society we must give to the next generations.
"We recognize in culture its role in social cohesion and development, its transforming power that enriches people's lives. This agreement reaffirms the bonds of solidarity and collaboration with the National Security Commission and the Mexican Gendarmerie Division, which join this agreement in an open space of union with culture”, she said.
Renato Sales Heredia, National Commissioner for Security, stated that this set of goods that our country has accumulated over the years, needs a special body for its protection with the participation of specialists from INAH and INBA, but also with the experience of the Italian Heritage Protection Command, one of the first institutions in the world created especially for this purpose, which through workshops has trained Mexican specialists in intelligence tasks to exercise actions of protection, safeguarding and recovery.
“Our collective conscience is also based on our cultural heritage, a legacy of our past with which we build our identity”, said the commissioner.
He mentioned that a database has been created to know which goods are susceptible to theft, but at the same time to facilitate their recovery in transnational networks dedicated to the theft and profit of this heritage.
"We have confidence in the signing of this agreement and in this new assignment for the Gendarmerie Division in the protection of a legacy that means, together with culture, the homeland of everyone”.
Benjamín Grajeda, curator of the Gendarmerie Unit, announced the start of the work of the Cultural Heritage Protection Division in coordination with the Italian Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, to carry out actions such as the identification of heritage properties and their protection, with special emphasis on areas such as collecting and looting of cultural property.
"Operations will be coordinated to prevent smuggling and to raise awareness among the population of the importance of protecting their national heritage, which is why we welcome the form of this agreement”.
Finally, Fabrizio Parruli, Chief Carabinieri of Protection of Italy’s Cultural Heritage said that the participation of Mexican institutions has been fundamental to take a great step forward in the protection of one of the richest heritage in the world, Mexico's, and that is why coordination at the international level is a fundamental aspect to create mechanisms and methodologies based on many decades of experience.
"This is only the first step between two countries that share a great culture, also the colors of a flag, but above all a millenary heritage that must be protected and safeguarded for future generations. Heritage protection is a global action that is the responsibility of all countries”.
Mexico,Distrito Federal
