Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos presented four bills aimed at the promotion and defense of the country’s culture.
The head of state stated that the intention of the four projects would be to show that culture is the soul of Colombian society.
“With so much cultural richness around us, our duty – our obligation – not only to our country, but to the world, is to promote and defend these cultural expressions, creating spaces so that they can leave their mark for present and future generations,” Santos elaborated.
The first project has to do with the strengthening of the performing arts, by reducing the tax burden placed on performers and venues and increasing public access by doing away with the excessive formalities and costs associated with putting on events.
Secondly, Santos submitted legislature in favor of promoting Colombian cinema, “so that our cinema continues to grow in both national and international exposure, and so that Colombia will be a location for the world’s great films.”
The third bill regards submerged cultural heritage, which would create a type of guide to define what does and does not fall in this category, “so that there is a clear line between what can belong to individuals, and what is not negotiable,” in respect to Colombians right to own or harbor pre-Columbian artifacts.
Lastly, the fourth project deals with the mechanisms and processes necessary to recover archaeological heritage from private hands.
“This legislation provides an option for the pieces that are in the hands of individuals to be transferred to the nation, or regional, scientific, cultural, or university authorities that fund research investigations on the origins of the archaeological heritage,” the president explained.