From April 13 to 18, 2026, a specialized course focused on the use of digital technologies for the documentation, analysis, and protection of cultural heritage was held in Panama City, as part of regional efforts to strengthen technical capacities in World Heritage management.

The activity was jointly organized by the Regional World Heritage Institute in Zacatecas (RWHIZ - CC2 UNESCO) and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of Panama. The training took place in person at the Panama Viejo archaeological site, combining theoretical sessions with practical field exercises.

The opening ceremony was attended by key authorities and institutions in the heritage sector, including Mauro Rosi, Head of the Latin America and Caribbean Unit of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre; José Luis Perea González, Technical Secretary of INAH; Yamileth Stanziola, National Director of Cultural Heritage of Panama; and Carlos Augusto Torres Pérez, Director General of the Regional World Heritage Institute in Zacatecas (RWHIZ - CC2 UNESCO). Raúl Pacheco Pérez, Director of the INAH Zacatecas Center; and Julieta de Arango, Executive Director of the Panama Viejo Trust.

The course lasted six days and brought together ten Panamanian specialists from institutions responsible for cultural heritage management. The methodology integrated conceptual content on digital documentation, photogrammetry principles, and survey planning with intensive field practice focused on the use of drones and image capture tools for recording and creating three-dimensional models of heritage assets. The training was delivered by Jorge Cuauhtémoc Martínez Huerta and Juan Carlos Basabe Bañuelos, specialists from the INAH Zacatecas Center, who guided participants in the use of these technologies, promoting a practical, decision-making-oriented approach.

As a result, approximately 25 hours of technical training were provided. Among the main products generated were more than a dozen three-dimensional models of heritage structures, notably those corresponding to the Panama Viejo archaeological site and the Castillo de San Lorenzo el Real de Chagres, both inscribed on the World Heritage List as part of Panama's transisthmian colonial route. These resources are key tools for the conservation, monitoring, and management of cultural assets, and will be integrated into digital repositories for institutional use.

This action is part of the efforts of the Regional World Heritage Institute in Zacatecas (RWHIZ - CC2 UNESCO) to strengthen technical capacities in the use of information technologies applied to heritage in the subregion of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.