Pre-Inca ruins covered with graffiti in Lima

Due to a lack of security, ruins in the Lima district of La Molina are covered with obscene graffiti. Paintings and obscene grafftti cover the walls of Melgarejo ruins located in La Fontana Avenue in Santa Patricia, La Molina.

Ruins in the Lima district of La Molina covered with graffiti [Credit: El Comercio]

This pre-Inca structure is often visitied by families that live in the nearby apartment complexes and houses. However, this desire to breathe in and experience some history shuts down when they see the grotesque writings all over the walls of this natural treasure.

Neighbors say the graffiti appeared a few months ago. “There is no security. It is a tragedy to see this deterioration,” Carmen Castro, resident of the negihborhood, told El Comercio.

The ruins belonged to the Lima and Ichma cultures during Peru’s pre-Inca time period. According to the Ministry of Culture they are untouchable and protected by the state.

Reporters from El Comercio confirmed the abundance of writing and graffiti on the upper level of the ruins as well as a lack of security in the archaeological site where the public freely could enter at any time of the day or night.

Some say that there are times when people gather in the ruins to drink and they believe that these groups are to blame for the graffiti. Neighbors demand better protection to keep this occurrence from happening again.

“The lack of maintenance and security is a responsibility that is shared by the Ministry of Culture and the district, that according to the Organic Law of Municipalities, should watch over the patrimony in their districts,” reported Luis Cáceres, director of Archaeology at the Culture sector.

He adds that priority should be given to the ruins found in highly populated, urbanized areas, because there is more risk that these will be invaded.

In response to the recent graffiti, Cáceres insisted that a full emergency investigation would be made and experts would carefully remove the damage. He asks the municipality to provide a security camera in the area as prevention from repeated vandalism. 

Author: Emily Culver | Source: Peru This Week [July 14, 2013]