Between reproaches and some coincidences, the representatives of the cultural teams of the presidential candidates, Ana Francis Mor from Morena, Consuelo Sáizar from the PRI, PAN, PRD alliance and Ruth Alejandra López from Movimiento Ciudadanopresented their proposals on cultural matters one month before the largest elections in the history of the country take place.
Summoned by the Reflection Group on Economy and Culture (Grecu), the Dialogue for the Cultural sector It took place at the facilities of the Carlos Septién School of Journalism, and was broadcast on social networks, moderated by journalists Adriana Malvido and Angélica Abelleyra.
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They criticize centralization of resources
When asked “do we have the Ministry of Culture that the reality of the country’s cultural sector requires?” Consuelo Sáizar and Rut Alejandra López agreed on the poor management of the secretariat in the last five years, and criticized the “centralization of culture”, as well as that a large part of the budget was allocated to the construction of government mega projects.
“The concentration in this six-year term on only two projects, that of Chapultepec and the purchase of land for the Mayan Train, the repeated complaints from cultural citizens, from the community of artists and creators, from cultural workers, from the union of journalists and civil associationsrequires us to carry out a detailed analysis of the origin and application of resources and their impact on the management and future of the secretariat,” said Sáizar.
For its part, Ana Francis Mordefended the project of the current presidency, stating that in 2024 a cultural budget of about 17 million pesosplus 11 million in other transversal projects.
Historical debt
After being questioned about the strategies that the candidates they represent will implement to dignify the working conditions of the sector, Sáizar and Francis Mor stated that solving this problem is “a historical debt”even before the creation of the Secretary of Culture.
Francis Mor acknowledged that little progress has been made to improve working conditions, but mentioned the increase in the minimum wage in the country as one of the improvements for the working population. He considered it “plausible” that the three thousand 573 workers of chapter 300 in the sector can be hired by chapter 100that is, go from temporary fees. He said he will seek to “modify the Procurement Law” and strengthen the relationship with the Ministry of Labor.
“There are a lot of labor rights that are established in the Federal labor law, but that many industries cultural and many platforms do not respect. It seems to me that both ministries should work very closely to defend the workers of the art and the culture“said the deputy.
Ruth Alejandra mentioned that among her party’s proposals is the allocation of 1% of GDP to the sector budgetthat all cultural workers have social security and the regulation of digital platforms, which had already been proposed by his party in the Chambers of Deputies and Senators, without being approved.
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The representatives were questioned about the way in which their projects will integrate the society civil and the private initiative in the sector. Sáizar and Francis Mor disagreed. Well, while the first mentioned that she considers that Mexico is at the moment of designing a cultural state with a patronage model such as the American one, the second said that she did not agree because of the control that companies can have over the freedom of expression of artists, although she did not rule out that agreements could be reached with the private sector.
The spokespersons were also asked about the possibility of designing a project really federal of culture. About this, both Saizaras Ruth Alejandraagreed on a precariousness of state budgets by the federation, whose restoration is necessary.