Historic Buildings in Popayán in Poor Condition

Properties in the department, including the Governor’s Office, Casa Caldas and Casa de la Moneda, are in poor condition. The headquarters of the Ministry of Health does not meet the conditions.

By Aura Isabel Olano Correa

The disconnection of the eaves of the Clock Tower, which happened on September 13, which injured three people, but could have caused a tragedy, is the most obvious example of the abandonment of many heritage buildings in the historic sector of Popayán, and that is why there is urgency. need to unblock the Special Plan for the Management and Protection of the Historic Sector (PEMP) and implement the management entity.

What happened to La “Nariz de Popayán”, named after the poet Guillermo Valencia, rebuilt after the 1983 earthquake in Asocaña, is a warning to the departmental and municipal governments, who were called to make urgent decisions to restore and maintain the real estate assets and furniture under his care.

Five Years Without a Review of the MEWP

The president of the Heritage Sector Board, the architect José Alonso Monteros Velasco, was consulted by the newspaper La Campana Regarding the PEMP, he said that this plan, which had to be reviewed after 10 years of operation, which was completed in 2019, has not yet been done.

The Cauca Government building is in a deplorable state due to lack of maintenance. Termites have done their thing in the woodwork, the moisture undermines the structure.

Cultural Heritage Sector Table

On the other hand, on September 26, 2024, from 8:00 am. to 1:00 pm, the VI International Cultural Heritage Forum will be held “Heritage is more than memories”, organized by the Board of the Cultural Heritage Sector, of which the architect Monteros Velasco is president.

Governor’s Office, Casa Caldas and Convention Center

For several years now, the properties run by the department of Cauca, such as the headquarters of the departmental government itself, the Casa Caldas and the Casa de la Moneda, pompously called the “convention center” have seen a major deterioration.

Casa Caldas, in charge of the Government of Cauca, seems to be falling apart. Deterioration of ceilings, ceilings, walls is evident, as well as dampness.

Convention Center

Needless to say, the poorly named “Casa de la Moneda” Convention Center, for which an architectural project was scrapped and no alternative was made, but on the verge of losing the budget allocated by the national government, it planned, almost in barracks. , the building that exists today, whose facade has deteriorated, with graffiti and patches; Inside there are many leaks, non-functioning bathrooms, stained carpet, walls, and wooden floors that require attention.

The Mint is in urgent need of remodeling.

Ministry of Health

The headquarters of the Ministry of Health, in the neighborhood of Valencia in Popayán, was evacuated on February 28, 2024 in a preventive and temporary manner on the recommendation of the Occupational Health and Safety Council, due to the poor condition in which it was found.

Building where the Health Secretariat of the Cauca Department operates.