The Senate has left crucial funding for spaces of memory and human rights in suspense, after rejecting key allocations during the approval of the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage in the 2024 Budget. With a result of 31 votes to in favor, 5 against and 2 abstentions, the debate focused on the denial of funds for vital entities in the historical and cultural preservation of the country.
The rejection of the gloss of Bafona (National Folk Ballet) and the assignments of the Neltume Cultural Center and Museum, the National Stadium Corporation (National Memory), the José Domingo Cañas Memory House Foundation and the Pisagua Former Political Prisoners Corporation has triggered a significant impasse. All of these issues are now pending discussion in the joint commission, adding uncertainty to its financial future.
A separate point in the discussion was the fate of allocations related to entities in charge of maintaining memory. A group of parliamentarians, led by Senator Cruz-Coke, requested to vote separately on each of these assignments. They argued that organizations dedicated to the preservation of these issues should be under the tutelage of the Undersecretary of Human Rights of the Ministry of Justice, not under this heading.
Although the approval of funds was achieved for the Museum of Memory, the Sites of Memory program, the Villa Grimaldi peace park corporation, the Art and Solidarity Foundation, Casa Memoria London 38 and the Paine memorial, the fate of others entities was suspended. The resources destined for the Neltume Cultural Center and Museum, the National Stadium Corporation (National Memory), the José Domingo Cañas Memory House Foundation and the Pisagua Former Political Prisoners Corporation were rejected after a tie of 19 votes.
The Executive raised the possibility of transferring these assignments to the Undersecretary of Human Rights, even suspending the session in search of alternatives. However, the final resolution of these funds is postponed for discussion in the joint commission, leaving vital financing for these entities on hold.
In addition, indications were approved to incorporate a gloss on transparency in foundations, with a result of 22 votes in favor and 16 against. Access to transparency funds was also expanded to regional and municipal theaters and those of Maule and Los Ríos.
This rejection of funds represents a significant obstacle to the preservation of historical memory and human rights, generating uncertainty about the future of these fundamental institutions in the cultural identity and respect for the country’s history.
