[Aztlan] "Teotihuacan In Danger"

[Jorge Pérez de Lara Elías]

Listeros,

In the case of Teotihuacan, however respectfully Mr. Villaseñor may  
disagree with the "Esplendor Teotihuacano" project, he is still  
disagreeing based on all the misconstructions typically put in play by  
the press and that's what some of us have been warning about here.

Furthermore, while Teotihuacan may arguably be the grandest, largest,  
most impressive archaeological site in Mexico, I think it is  
unscientific to think any one site is more important than others. Is  
the implication that at more "unimportant" sites it might be OK to do  
certain things?

As for the "lack of respect governments show towards the past", I can  
tell you I have dealt with INAH all my life and, despite all its  
shortcomings, bureaucracy, corrupt union, etc, etc., its very  
existence is evidence to the contrary: the past matters to Mexican  
governments a great deal (often for the wrong reasons, but that's  
another argument).

As to the expression "Teotihuacan is now used as an ideological  
battleground for neo-liberals to pursue their 'pan y circo' policies",  
I'm afraid I don't know exactly what Mr. Villaseñor means by that. If  
anything, the archaeological and historical patrimony of Mexico has  
long been a favorite battleground of the left (both legitimate and  
pseudo-left) for attacking the government. Cultural patrimony is an  
incredibly useful, politically correct, nationalistic flag which is  
often used for less-than-holy purposes.

I don't think even those most feverishly opposed to "Esplendor  
Teotihuacano" have ever suggested it is "a disco light show", as Mr.  
Villaseñor would have us believe. I personally don't care much for  
light and sound shows, but I do see their value (if grounded on a  
solid script) in educating people and creating economic opportunity  
for the folk at San Juan Teotihuacan.

And, to finalize, I think it is at the very least unwise to rant about  
"the construction of a wallmart (sic) within the site, when all it  
does is mar the view of this magnificent site" without ever having  
been there. As Kim Goldsmith has pointed out, Wal-Mart is NOT built  
within the site and is in fact so far from it as to not even be  
visible "from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun". One might feel  
whatever one wishes about large corporations, but the controversy over  
the construction of that specific Wal-Mart is yet another example of  
how a sector of the press plays with public perceptions for purposes  
that have absolutely nothing to do with caring for the patrimony.

My two cents.

Jorge


On Jan 30, 2009, at 11:32 AM, Marcos Villaseñor wrote:

> I respectfully disagree. Teotihuacan is the most important
> archaeological site in the Estate of Mexico and perhaps in the entire
> country. Having grown up in Mexico and witnessed the lack of respect
> that governments show towards the past, I find that to my dismay,
> that Teotihuacan is now used as an ideological battle ground for neo-
> liberals to pursue their "pan y circo" policies.
>
> To make Teotihuacan into a disco light show is demeaning to us all,
> if Teo needs help then it is the obligation of the governor Peña
> Nieto to do his best to bring real jobs to Teo, but to bank on a
> light show, specially after the construction of a wallmart within the
> site, when all it does is mar the view of this magnificent site is
> folly Mexican style.
>
> Marcos Villasenor