The demolition of the City of Arts in Tepic, ordered by Governor Miguel Ángel Navarro Quintero to make way for the construction of the new Nicolás Álvarez Ortega soccer stadium, sparked protests by artists, cultural promoters, cyclists, students, and organized citizens, who are demanding a trans-six-year cultural policy and the preservation of public spaces dedicated to the arts.
Several people, including artists, students, and creators, demonstrated at the site with artistic interventions while heavy machinery removed trees and structures.
An image captured by photographer Efraín Arcadia O’Connor, showing a ballet dancer dancing in front of an excavator, became a symbol of the protest.
Amid the dust and broken concrete, she stands on pointe: an act of resistance,” he wrote. “Dance, ephemeral and powerful, becomes a courageous act in the face of the steamroller of oblivion.”
In response to the citizen demonstrations, the state government announced that at least 196 trees will be transplanted by the Nayarit Forestry Commission to Tepic’s Linear Park and other educational institutions, such as the UT (University of Nayarit) in the municipality of Santiago Ixcuintla, three hours from the capital, but did not reveal the preservation techniques they will employ.
“With respect and commitment to the environment, the relocation of various species of trees and plants located in the area where the new soccer stadium will be built has begun… they will receive the necessary care to continue their development in a suitable environment,” the government stated in a statement.
According to the government, this action is part of an initiative to “protect the region’s biodiversity and strengthen a culture of sustainability and environmental responsibility among Nayarit society.”
However, those who have demonstrated demand to know the exact fate of the specimens and assert that the process must be transparent and technically adequate.
Furthermore, some participants have questioned the priority of the sports project, pointing out that the space could be used for a psychiatric hospital or other uses with greater social impact, especially in a state where mental health services are scarce.
They reiterated that they are not opposed to the construction of a sports facility, as long as it does not diminish cultural sites, emphasized Isaac Cárdenas and Sara Marte, well-known local activists.
In addition to the protest actions, citizen groups and cultural promoters announced an alliance with the law firm Article 27, which specializes in strategic litigation in cultural matters, to file an injunction (amparo) to stop the demolition.
Carlos Lara, a lawyer at the firm, explained that the legal recourse is based on the defense of the right of access to culture, a constitutionally and conventionally recognized right.
The City of the Arts was demanded by the artistic community. Its foundation is based on a prior constitutional analysis conducted by the Supreme Court. It stems from the protection of the right of access to culture and the exercise of cultural rights.
The lawyer also reported that they will request a cultural feasibility study in accordance with the Planning Law and will seek an interpretation from the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation regarding the project being demolished.
A new demonstration is scheduled for this Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. in Plaza Benito Juárez, in front of the Government Palace, where artists, students, urban athletes, and activists will once again demand respect for the city’s cultural heritage and the guarantee of a cultural public policy that transcends government terms.
Source: aristeguinoticias
