Conference on Archive, Memory and Sovereignty brought together specialists and historical archives of the country

Published at: 22/07/2025 12:54 PM

This Monday, at the headquarters of the General Archive of the Nation (AGN), the Conference on Archive, Memory and Sovereignty began, a space for historians, archivists, researchers and representatives of more than eight Venezuelan historical archives, with the objective of strengthening institutional coordination around the documentary memory of the nation.

During his speech, the Deputy Minister of Identity and Cultural Diversity, Ignacio Barreto, said that these meetings are essential to consolidate the protection and promotion of the country's documentary heritage.

“These days bring together the most important historical archives of the Venezuelan Nation to reflect, not only on exchanges of good practices, but on all the challenge involved in maintaining the management of safeguarding, enrichment, promotion and dissemination of the documents of the Venezuelan documentary heritage protected in these archives, which is nothing more than memory, the primary sources to be able to know and research about Venezuela and the memory that makes us understand where we come from, where we are and where are we going,” he said.

He also referred to the challenges faced by archives due to the restrictions imposed on the country. “For Venezuela, it has been extremely difficult, as a result of the siege and sanctions, to acquire the necessary equipment for document management, given that all the obstacles in the world are placed on us and that means that we have to go even to the ingenuity, such as the dehumidification system, which has been extraordinary. They are examples of what the ingenuity of our people can do in times of greatest difficulty,” he said.

For her part, the director of the General Archive of the Nation, Rosario Soto, stressed that this activity marks the beginning of an articulated national process. “In addition to guarding one of the largest and oldest documentary collections in the entire Venezuelan State, in our responsibility as the governing body of the National Archives System, we are called upon to invite all historical archives to the joint creation and joint development of the National Plan for Archival Development,” he said.

He explained that this first day aims to make visible the multiple actions, programs and experiences of historical archives in Caracas and in the regions, and from there to build new joint strategies for protection and dissemination.

MINCULTURA PRESS