Kuélap is declared an emergency after the collapse of its walls

The government of Pedro Castillo signed the Supreme Decree declaring a State of Emergency in the district of Tingo, Luya province, Amazonas department, by impact of damage as a result of the collapse of the Perimeter Wall of the Kuelap Archaeological Complex, due to heavy rainfall.

The declaration is for a period of 60 calendar days, for the execution of emergency measures and actions, immediate and necessary, of response and rehabilitation as appropriate.

This decree states that the Ministry of Culture, with the technical coordination and follow-up of the National Institute of Civil Defence (INDECI) and the participation of the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, and other public and private institutions involved; implement urgent measures for the recovery and restoration of the affected areas, taking into account their main needs and the technical studies generated for this purpose.

In this regard, the Minister of Culture, Alejandro Salas, stressed that the DS was approved within the framework of the commitments made during his visit to the archaeological complex. “This is a commitment we made in Kuelap, so the declaration of emergency has been approved unanimously, regarding the collapses that occurred. This is a government that fulfills its commitments. This is in relation to what the president said about holding a Council of Ministers in Kuelap and his firm will to recover his culture and history. This government is the one that has worked the most in Kuelap in just eight months, but we're not just going to stay in it,” he said.

“This declaration of emergency is for 60 days, with an investment of approximately 2 million soles, to prop up the walls, mesh and stop the collapses. While there is a diagnosis that collapses may continue, we will safeguard the lives of all people during the work, which is why companies must have life insurance. We are not going to stop until Kuelap is recovered and lifted,” added the minister.

The Minister of Culture also announced that a multidisciplinary team is in place to identify all archaeological sites that are at risk to declare them in emergency, throughout the country.

“Today in the Council of Ministers the commitment we have to our culture and history has been demonstrated. We are going to recover Kuelap and attend to the archaeological centers that deserve our attention”, he concluded.

PROGRESS IN WORK

With regard to addressing this emergency, the Ministry of Culture has already taken immediate action. The process of acquiring the biaxial geogrid and accessories for immediate installation in the South Perimeter Wall, Sector Fortaleza, of the Kuelap Archaeological Complex, has been carried out.

Coordination is being carried out for the transfer of materials in the shortest possible time to respond to the emergency. The delivery date of the geogrids in Kuélap is April 29.

To date, the Ministry of Culture has allocated S/ 1,309,182 in budget to finance interventions aimed at the care, maintenance and restoration of the archaeological site of Kuelap.

Of this amount, S/139,286 has been allocated for the attention of the recent emergency, which includes the acquisition of plasticized canvas fabric and its installation, black plastic security seals, polypropylene geogrid and its installation, as well as corrugated steel rods.

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