Due to recent political developments in Peru, eight members of the National Culture Advisory Committee at the Peruvian Ministry of Culture decided to resign.

The letter of resignation bears the signatures of the artist Christian Bendayán, the anthropologist Ponciano del Pino, the theater director Chela de Ferrari, the artist Natalia Iguiñiz, the curator Natalia Majluf, the researcher José-Carlos Mariátegui, the indigenous activist Tarcila Rivera and the archaeologist Santiago Uceda Carrillo. It is a joint initiative in protest of the Government’s decision to pardon Alberto Fujimori, convicted of crimes against humanity.

This commission was convened in February 2017 by the former Minister Salvador del Solar, with the goal of designing a National Culture Policy to guide the sector’s efforts.

“The very foundations of the plan implied the vision of a country that aspires to the coexistence of a great diversity of cultures and perspectives, founded on democratic values ​​and principles, but in no way on an alliance with corruption and less with impunity. It is, indeed, difficult to think of a culture of peace and reconciliation without justice and transparency”, the letter states.

“It is problematic to propose a policy of memory that seeks empathy and the need for reparation when the violence suffered by the victims is minimized and their just claims are not recognized. Nor is it possible to develop government plans if the State does not respect basic agreements of coexistence, establish lies and relativizes morals”.

As CHIRAPAQ, we hope that the future efforts of the MINCULT do not mean a step backwards in the progress made on interculturality, the fight against racism and the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples.