Ministry of Culture wants to declare the Festival of the Virgen de la Puerta Cultural Heritage

The Minister of CultureLeslie Urteaga, announced that they intend to ensure that the Festival of the Virgin of the Door, originally from Otuzco (La Libertad), is declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

“We are working […] in cultural management and in the defense of intangible heritage, such as the case of the Festival of the Immaculate Virgin of the Puerta de Otuzco, which has already been declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2012″he pointed.

He indicated that, for this reason, the installation of a technical working group will be promoted and work will also be done through legislative proposals to achieve it.

“We are supporting and endorsing the projects that are taking place in the Congress of Peru and that favor the preservation of our heritage and the intangible transmission that we have in each of our towns”he added.

Then, Urteaga visited the Immaculate Conception Parish of Otuzco, where he met with the parish priest, Ronal González Estela. At that meeting, the head of Culture was in front of the religious image, venerated by many parishioners.

“It is important that the bearers are present at this work table and hear what the procedures and steps to follow will be like to initiate this file before UNESCO”he reported.

The festival has been commemorated every year since December 15, 1664 in Otuzco. Its origin occurred when, upon being alerted by the invasion of European pirates, the citizens placed the image of the virgin on the doors to prevent the invasion and subsequent looting.

After that, the pirates withdrew, which was interpreted as a divine miracle, this fact motivated the name and cult of the image.

[Nota periodística elaborada con información del Ministerio de Cultura]