Summary.
The bill declares the National Archives of Panama (Archivo Nacional de Panamá) building a historic monument. It locates the building between streets 31 and 32, facing Avenida Perú, in the La Exposición neighborhood of the Calidonia corregimiento (district). The declaration applies to the building at that location and places it within the list of national historic monuments set out in the bill.
A commemorative plaque would be placed in a visible part of the building. The plaque would state that the building has been declared a national historic monument and identify the law making that declaration. The bill assigns maintenance and conservation of the building to the Ministry of Culture (Ministerio de Cultura), acting through the Directorate of Cultural Heritage (Dirección de Patrimonio Cultural). It also directs that directorate to comply with all special measures established by Law 14 of 1982 for the areas adjacent to the building, with the stated aim of preventing deterioration and decline.
Article 5 proposes new wording for Article 2 of Law 37 of 1996. The resulting list includes the two buildings housing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores), located at Plaza Porras between Avenida Perú and Avenida Cuba, in the Calidonia corregimiento (district), district of Panama. It includes the building housing the Reina Torres de Araúz Anthropological Museum, at Plaza 5 de mayo, in the Santa Ana corregimiento (district), District of Panama. It also lists the detached tower of San José Cathedral in the city of David, province of Chiriquí, and the De Obaldía residence, which houses the José de Obaldía Museum of History and Art on Avenida Octava Este, between Calle Central and Avenida Norte, in the city of David, province of Chiriquí.
The same list includes the building housing the Museum of National Identity of Villa de Los Santos, on Calle José Vallarino, opposite Simón Bolívar Park, formerly Plaza Mayor, diagonally across from the Church of San Atanasio. It also names the Church of Taboga and adds, as the final entry, the National Archives of Panama building at the location described in Article 1. Article 6 reiterates the amendment to Article 2 of Law 37 of 1996, which declares several monuments historic. The bill’s heading identifies that law as Law 37 of May 22, 1966. Article 7 provides that the law would take effect upon promulgation.
The bill concerns the Ministry of Culture, the Directorate of Cultural Heritage, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its provisions could be of interest to those managing the National Archives of Panama, the listed museums and other properties, as well as the cultural heritage conservation and building management sectors in the named areas.
What it proposes.
- Declaration of a building as a national historic monument.
- Identification by plaque and conservation of the building.
- Special measures for adjacent areas.
- Amendment of the statutory list of national historic monuments.
Who it would affect.
- National Archives of Panama.
- Ministry of Culture and Directorate of Cultural Heritage.
- Those managing the building and its adjacent areas.
Key points.
- Declares the National Archives of Panama building between streets 31 and 32, facing Avenida Perú in the Calidonia corregimiento (district), a historic monument.Art. 1
- Provides for a visible plaque identifying the declaration and the law that establishes it.Art. 2
- Assigns maintenance and conservation of the building to the Ministry of Culture through the Directorate of Cultural Heritage.Art. 3
- Requires the Directorate of Cultural Heritage to comply with the special measures under Law 14 of 1982 for areas adjacent to the building.Art. 4
- Proposes new wording for the list of national historic monuments in Article 2 of Law 37 of 1996 and adds the National Archives of Panama building.Art. 5
- Reiterates that the amendment concerns Article 2 of Law 37 of 1996.Art. 6
- Provides that the law would take effect upon promulgation.Art. 7