Visions of culture collide in Alejandra Frausto's appearance

Two opposing and irreconcilable views met yesterday at the appearance of the Secretary of Culture, Alejandra Frausto, and the members of the United Commissions of Culture and Cinematography and Radio and Television, of the Chamber of Deputies, where, on the one hand, Frausto and the Morena legislators praised the work carried out in the last five years, while the legislators of the National Action (PAN), Institutional Revolutionary (PRI), Democratic Revolution (PRD) and Citizen Movement (MC) parties emphasized the faults, pending and debts of the owner.

They criticized, for example, the 2024 Expenditure Budget Project (PPEF), the allocation of 3 billion pesos to the INAH for the purchase of land in Yucatán, the neglect of cultural infrastructure in the states, the limited effectiveness of Cultura Comunitaria , of Reconstruction (PNR), of the Chapultepec Project, the Mayan Train and Semilleros, which only serves 4% of Mexico's children.

After Frausto's initial presentation, which covered achievements of the last five years of work, representative Gabriela Sody (PRD), questioned that INAH workers have denounced that their work spaces, archaeological zones and local cultural houses are in
abandonment.

And although he acknowledged that there is an increase in the PPEF 2024, said growth will only finance megaprojects and megaworks of the current administration. "For example, the budget increase to the INAH, of close to 3 billion pesos, are resources that will be allocated to the acquisition of land in the archaeological zones of Yucatán, of the Mayan Train, which has added environmental damage of great importance."

Furthermore, he criticized Frausto's position on the creation of the Semilleros as something new, which has been carried out in Mexico for many years, without forgetting that despite "defending indigenous languages", he allowed the INALI to lose powers.

For her part, Rocío Banquells (MC) criticized the distribution of the PPEF and asked that the panorama that the theater is experiencing in Mexico be reviewed and asked to review whether the salary conditions of actors, props, cameramen, drivers, and all the personnel who collaborates in the creation of content on digital platforms.

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On the occasion, Paulina Aguado Romero (PAN) pointed out that Frausto could not answer where all the money that was previously allocated to states and municipalities is, and she regretted that there are houses of culture in abandonment and historical buildings in poor condition, without forgetting the works of art that lie cornered.

Where is the support for artistic creators and the promotion of Mexican culture to the world? Aguado demanded. “And the answer is that not even you know, because you made the decision to give up your dignity and vocations in life… to become servile servants of the imposition of a dictatorship in Mexico.”

For his part, Brazil Alberto Acosta (PRI) argued that the Chapultepec Project has taken away resources from the states and prevented more scholarships (for performing arts creators) or greater artistic promotion. He criticized the lack of art education teachers and suggested that resources be reallocated to the Semilleros program.

The criticisms and justifications continued throughout the session that lasted three hours and 37 minutes, where Frausto's defense of the number of Semilleros stood out, arguing that the program cannot be expanded drastically; and he pointed out that the projects of the current SC “are not like the Estela de Luz, which is useless.”

Frausto said that not all amounts for culture are in the SC budget. For example, the Living Museum of Muralism (with 290 million pesos from the SEP), the Health Museum (with 346 million pesos from Conacyt), the SCOP Center (with 576 million pesos from the SICT), La Mariscala, in front of Bellas Artes ( 1,275 million pesos from the SHCP), Internet for All (45 million pesos), and the archaeological rescue of the Mayan Train (4,506 million pesos, paid by Fonatur).

Finally, Paulina Aguado announced that she promoted, before the Social Security Commission, an initiative to provide social security to artists, artisans and workers in the sector, which has been voted in favor by deputies and senators.

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