The State Government reported that it has been decided to cancel the seventh edition of the International Festival of the Maya Culture (FICMaya), considered the main cultural event during the term of governor Rolando Zapata Bello, as a result of the transition of the state administration.
The general coordinator of advisers and head of the Office of International Affairs of the State Government, Eric Rubio Barthell stated that the state government did not have enough time to organize this seventh edition of the event created during the current administration of Governor Rolando Zapata Bello.
The seventh edition of FICMaya had the motto “The Mayans of today in time”, and was scheduled to take place from October 19 to 28; with India as the guest country and Aguascalientes as guest state.
In 2012, when the current state administration began, the first edition of the festival was held, which was attended a year later, in 2013, by the President of the Republic Enrique Peña Nieto, who said in the archaeological site of Dzibilchaltún, that the festival would project the richness of the Mayan culture and the Yucatan to the rest of the country.
In the opinion of many residents of the city of Mérida, the cancellation of a cutlural festival of this type, has rather a political background, since the state administration that is on its way out belongs to the PRI, while the one that is coming in belongs to the PAN.
In any case, the cultural events that take place in the capital of Yucatan are always a spearhead to promote tourism which is one of the most important activities in the state, and also to provide citizens with the opportunity to attend this type of shows, concerts, workshops, conferences or talks that are always edifying and productive for the local population in terms of education and culture.
It is to be expected that for the next six-year period that is about to begin, this Festival will disappear as such, and be replaced by another similar one (with a different name of course).
Finally, the people of Mérida would like to know what is going to happen to the economic resources that were allocated in time for the organization of this Festival. Are these resources going to be used to address other social issues for the benefit of the local population? We very much doubt it…
TYT Newsroom