Alfredo Varela Pacheco, councilor for the Citizens’ Movement (MC) party, denounced the municipal government’s abandonment of the cultural sector and the neglect of artists, filmmakers, and cultural managers.
“Durango is known as the land of cinema, but not of cinema made by Durango residents (…) Today, artists and cultural managers feel abandoned by a government that no longer listens to, promotes, or recognizes local talent,” Varela Pacheco said.
The MC councilor lamented that the Municipal Institute of Culture (IMAC) has practically disappeared, as there are no longer any active programs or calls for proposals, scholarships have been eliminated, and spaces for promoting local art have been ignored or eliminated.
“We have young graduates from artistic programs without opportunities, without financial support or spaces to exhibit their work. Many of them leave Durango because they find neither support nor a future here,” he stated.
Culture should not be seen as a luxury, but as an essential part of the city’s development. “Culture is not only entertainment, it is identity, it is community, and it is also the economy, and ignoring it is closing the door to Durango’s comprehensive development,” said Alfredo Varela.
According to the council member, Movimiento Ciudadano has collected proposals directly from the sector in meetings with filmmakers, visual artists, collectives, and cultural managers. Therefore, some of the initiatives being promoted by the City Council include the creation of traveling museums to bring art to the neighborhoods, urban murals that foster a sense of belonging and identity, a Durango art fair that promotes local talent, and financial support for emerging artists.
“We want public spaces to stop being empty or in the hands of bureaucracy and be filled with art, creativity, and culture made in Durango,” the council member expressed.
Varela reaffirmed his party’s commitment to Durango’s art and culture: “At Movimiento Ciudadano, we believe in a city that respects, promotes, and finances its culture. There can be no transformation without art, without history, without local expression.”
Finally, with a politicized phrase, he declared: “We have to be frank: art in Durango doesn’t need pretty speeches; it needs real support. If you don’t invest in local culture, you are giving up the soul of this city.”
Source: oem
