UJ #9 - Adventure in Peru

INTERVIEW
Right: The Ushnu
at Huanucopampa.
This is a ceremonial
platform in the centre
of the citadel.
Below: This sector
of the road between
Huanucopampa and
Huamachuco is paved
and its retaining walls
are well preserved.
THE UNESCO
DECLARATION IS A
COMPROMISE RATHER
THAN A PRIZE, LIKE
A CERTIFICATION
THAT DEMANDS
CERTAIN STANDARDS,
AND THE FIRST OF
THESE IS PLANNED
MANAGEMENT
What impact has the UNESCO declaration had?
It has had impacts at different levels. One of the most
obvious is the increase in the number of “world heritage
sites”. Before the UNESCO declaration there were
11 sites in Peru and now, including Qhapaq Ñan, there
are 82 world heritage sites.
Presence is another indicator. Thanks to this declaration,
the Qhapaq Ñan project gives the Ministry of
Culture a national presence but at a local scale; something
that is difficult for the public sector to achieve.
The other, related, impact involves experience and
knowledge. We have made a test laboratory out of
heritage management. To do so we have covered the
whole country, we are in contact with people of every
type, with all sorts of legal landholdings (urban, rural,
private, communal, public, etc.), and this has enabled
us to define land management by applying concepts
such as public use, social use and landscape.
What benefits have you derived from your work
on the classic road to Machu Picchu?
The reality in Cusco is very different from ours, the