Public inaction on heritage policies

Case study on the rural parish of San Antonio de Ibarra, 2020-2022

Abstract

In 2020 San Antonio de Ibarra was patrimonialized and is part of the representative list of intangible cultural heritage of Ecuador, for its "Techniques and Traditional Knowledge in the Art of Wood Carving". However, the problems of economic recession, which reached its climax after the pandemic, have been accentuated due to the public inaction of the Ecuadorian State and its public policies regarding intangible cultural heritage. The present research discusses this phenomenon, focusing on the analysis of the deficient administrative delegation of the central government, the minuscule management of local governments, the uselessness of alliances with certain NGOs operating in Ecuador, and the regulatory incongruence at the environmental level that opposes the legitimate use of wood species such as cedar, one of the most used among artisans. It also analyzes the public agenda of the State in relation to the economic liberalization of tariff policies and the lack of political communication of public programs to the community. Finally, the post-pandemic situation of the small and medium-sized artisans of San Antonio de Ibarra is described, gathering their main experiences.