Through Supreme Resolution No 012-2024-MC, published in the official newspaper El Peruano, the Government concluded the appointment of Ricardo Arturo Moreau Heredia as institutional head of General Archive of the Nation (AGN)attached to the Ministry of Culture, in the face of the wave of questions that weighed against him by the irregular transfer – last weekend – of a batch of 400 boxes, which contained a very important collection of documentstowards an industrial warehouse located in Callao that does not meet the minimum conditions to preserve them.
LOOK: Ricardo Moreau: “In the best scenario, the new location of the General Archive would be in 2029”
In the order, which is signed by the President of the Republic, Dina Boluarte, and the head of Culture, Fabricio Valencia, the former official is not thanked for the services provided. He was in office since March 31, 2022, the date on which he took over, replacing Jorge Alfredo Rafael Ortíz Sotelo, who was thanked for his time in the position.
THE QUESTIONS
Moreau was in the eye of the storm after it was reported in recent days that AGN workers removed boxes with documents from its current headquarters, in the basement of the Judicial Branch, in Cercado de Lima, despite the fact that the Comptroller General’s Office of the Republic issued up to three reports in which it pointed out the risks of deterioration that the transfer to the new premises could mean for the material.
In addition to this, the First Constitutional Court of Lima had admitted an amparo action that sought to stop the move. A precautionary measure is also being processed that has not yet been resolved.
In this regard, Magally Alegre Hendersonprofessor of History and head of the Riva Agüero Historical Archive, welcomed Moreau’s dismissal and said she is waiting for confirmation of the precautionary measure to prevent the transfer from continuing.
“The Government has realized that this, which is the property and heritage of everyone, has a high level of citizen supervision and from the academic world. “One of the worst mistakes in handling this situation was not being able to listen to each other,” he told Peru21.
The new location is adjacent to bleach and chemical factorieswhich for Alegre “is not a minor issue.” In a statement, AGN itself stated that bleach is not flammable, so the documents are not in danger; However, the historian maintained that, although these companies have operating certificates, they could be subject to an environmental or chemical accident that would jeopardize the writings.
Another question is related to the high cost of renting the place. In total, S/12 million will be disbursed for the document storage service for a period of three years, despite the fact that a report from the same AGN in 2023 indicates that the amount of a temporary property of this type would be around S/4 millions.
DOCUMENTS AT RISK
Alegre explained that the AGN contains two types of documents. On the one hand, those of the historical archive and, on the other, those of the notarial archive. In the first are the documents of State institutions that no longer function, but also on pensions, labor rights, dual nationality, among others.
In the second, he said, there are documents “coveted by land mafias,” such as public deeds, wills, property, water rights, community rights, and more.
The conservation specialist of AGN itself Milagros Corrales declared to Peru21 that in the institution there is documentary heritage on paper in different types of support, such as wood, and linen and cotton; and there are soluble pen and metalloacid inks, which can be oxidized by burning the paper.
“With that oxidation, sentences are cut off. The same vibration from the movement of a car can cause particles to become detached. There are also other documents with mushrooms. “If you take them to a more humid environment, like Callao, the dormant fungus could activate,” he said.
For this reason, he regretted, “there is already damage due to the manipulation” of the first batch of boxes which has already been transferred. He said that a structured relocation plan “should take at least 3 years.”
PLEASE NOTE
Minister’s word. Minister Valencia pointed out on September 17 in Congress that it was essential to maintain the ideal ambient temperature and humidity in the new premises to preserve the writings.
Protection. “Any action we take will have the protection and conservation of heritage as its main axis,” he added. However, days later, 400 boxes were transferred.
MOREAU’S RESPONSE
Regarding this journalistic note, Mr. Moreau responded to Peru21 what would be the benefits of the new rented premises in Callao. Among them, he said, it has “two warehouses equipped with selective racks, noble material infrastructure, a fire-fighting system and a sectorized sprinkler system, four ground wells for all electrical panels, a wind system for adequate ventilation in the warehouses. , security cameras and monitoring system”, among others.
He maintained that this location is located in “an area of low seismic impact, as well as being located away from the sea and outside the tsunami zone.” And he added that “in Peru there is no space that has been built ad hoc to house archives,” but rather the chosen space must be provided “with the conditions required by the documents, in accordance with the technical specifications of the professionals of the conservation that counts for AGN”.
He assured that there were “two years of preparation to move in an orderly manner” and that the transfer carried out on Saturday, September 28 was made in order to “safeguard the documentary heritage of all Peruvians”, in the face of the “imminent eviction, requested by the Judiciary”, of the space they occupy in their basement to date. The mobilized documents, he insisted, “were mobilized after a careful planning process.”
Regarding the companies adjacent to the Callao location, he indicated that they “comply with their safety protocols (…) which allows them to carry out manufacturing activities together with the application of environmental control measures, environmental monitoring program and safety plans. contingency”.
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