Hora Cero
junio 16, 2025
The situation of the historical archives of Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras has worried history professionals from different countries, who took advantage of the XVI Central American History Congress, held at the end of July in Honduras, to remember the importance of preserving the archives of each country and demanding that each State fulfill their responsibility to protect, with professionalism, their bibliographic collections, as well as making them accessible to the general population.
The statement by 94 history professionals from 13 countries refers, in the case of Nicaragua, to the Institute of History of Nicaragua and Central America (IHNCA), which was located within the facilities of the Central American University. With the confiscation of the assets of this university, in August 2023, the Daniel Ortega regime took over the IHNCA facilities and reopened it as the “Heroes of Nicaragua Institute of History Heroes of Nicaragua”, installing within its walls, the Museum of the National Literacy Crusade.
During her official monologue, Rosario Murillo referred to the inauguration of the museum: «That space was closed by the enemies of the blessed and always free homeland. Today it reopened and there is the mirror of what we are, where we are going.»
In 2009, the IHNCA received the Prince Claus Award in the Netherlands for its outstanding research work and historical collection that, to date, numbered around 50,000 volumes including newspapers, photographs, maps, videos, and other documents. When the institute closed, the number rose to 70,000.
The official page of the Prince Claus award, explains that IHNCA’s practice ranged from archival preservation, and sociocultural research to public history, focusing on topics such as regional identity, political developments and social change.
«This work has been exhibited in several international forums, highlighting the institute’s impact on the preservation of cultural heritage and influencing contemporary historical studies. Through exhibitions, publications and digital archives, IHNCA not only safeguards history but also fosters informed dialogue about the future of Central America,» the site states.
In the case of El Salvador, there is concern about the General Archive of the Nation (AGN) and the National Library of El Salvador (BINAES). A journalistic investigation recently revealed that the transfer of the historical archives of both the AGN and the Newspaper Library and other historical collections that were in the old library suffered damage due to the lack of protocols for carrying out the transfers.
The investigation consults BINAES workers, who report the poor conditions in which the files were moved, from the use of plastic boxes to the improvisation for the transfer of documents due to pressure from the Presidential House to vacate the building where the AGN has been temporarily placed. The majority of workers consulted for this investigation assured that much of the historical material suffered irreparable damage.
Furthermore, the investigation reports that the personnel who moved the files were not trained, since the government used inmates in the trusted phase of the Zero Leisure Plan, because the Library staff was not enough. “The initial arrangement of the historical collections in the new facility was no less chaotic since the worker recalls that they were piled up on the floor for days, since at the time of the transfer and reception of the archives the shelves were not available,” the investigation states.
This situation adds to a series of decisions that the government made regarding the Ministry of Culture, which include layoffs, destruction of assets, and restructuring of this entity.
Regarding this, the Salvadoran historian and signatory of the statement, Héctor Lindo, regretted that there is an “implosion” of the cultural authorities of his country, in addition to the lack of interest in protecting cultural heritage. «The Ministry of Culture seems to be more interested in dismantling itself. There is a kind of implosion of the cultural authorities in El Salvador, no value is given to professionalism,» he said.
«In addition, access to the houses of culture, their small libraries, their activities that brought culture to the local level, a work of more than two decades that had been done in the houses of culture, has been thrown out the window. Not having staff may prevent the Ministry of Culture from having the quality of research, the necessary maintenance work, everything that is expected of a Ministry of Culture. It cannot function at the same level when it loses much-experienced personnel and even when in authorities at higher levels there is no professionalism in cultural issues, they have neither expressed themselves nor shown any interest in saying what projects they have for the future,” he expressed.
Lindo commented that during the Central American History Congress, professionals from Honduras also denounced that the building that houses the “Ramón Rosa” National Newspaper Archive is not in optimal condition, which endangers the historical archives of the press in this country.
According to one journalistic note, the National Newspaper Archive building, considered the country’s heritage, dates back to the 19th century and presents damage such as vegetation growing on the walls, poor interventions on the original floors, leaks throughout the property, areas prone to collapses and the presence of pests that put both the wood in the place and the documentation at risk, according to a report from the Secretariat of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage.
Days after learning of the historians’ statement, the Ministry of Culture published a video on social networks on August 6, reporting that the more than 5 million historical documents found in the Newspaper Library are being moved to a new headquarters building. «The ‘Ramón Rosa’ National Newspaper Archive is completing the first phase of the transfer of its invaluable historical collection. At this stage, our team is classifying, inventorying, and packaging collections to guarantee the protection and security of more than a century of national history,» they expressed on their social networks.
Historical archives are the raw material of any history professional or researcher, as defined by Héctor Lindo, who regrets that new generations have difficulties accessing key inputs for their training and that they can see their careers paralyzed by the lack of access to historical documents.
«We do not work without having documentary support for what we say or for the arguments we make, that is the experience of the person dedicated to history. The main victims of all this are the youngest historians, who do not even have accumulated research notes. All these young people, all the History students in El Salvador, for example, and throughout Central America, do not have access to the raw material to work with, their careers are paralyzed by the lack of access,» he said.
On the other hand, he highlighted some points to take into account regarding the transfer of archives and recalled that there are international manuals, guidelines, and protocols that indicate to institutions, private and public, the mechanisms for the protection, transfer, and management of archives and historical documents. «They have to be in appropriate facilities. Archives are not warehouses, they are places for the protection and even restoration of historical documents; this mainly requires protection against dangers such as fire, for example.»
«There are guides from both UNESCO and archival institutions in the United States and Europe that explain to anyone who wants to dedicate themselves to this topic, how to do it. In addition, a well-managed archive includes restoration activities, classification, cataloging activities, and service to the public by placing catalogs online so that people everywhere know what can be found in the archive, and digitizing documents that can be placed online so that people do not have to manipulate documents that are so fragile.»
The signatories of the declaration, linked to universities in Central America, Mexico, South America, North America, and Europe, stressed the importance of having adequate institutions for the safekeeping and protection of documents and books. In their statement, they highlighted the need for appropriate physical conditions, professional management, and public access to archives and libraries.
The congress brought together academics and experts from various universities, including the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Fordham University, and the University of California, among others, who reaffirmed their commitment to the preservation of the region’s historical heritage.
“People without archives lose their memory… the archive is for the country the memory of its past,” concludes the statement.
