On October 30 and 31, and November 1, 6, and 7, 2023, the online course "Digital Photogrammetry Applied to Cultural Heritage in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean" was held. The purpose of this course was to provide participants with the skills and abilities necessary to apply this technique to the documentation of built cultural heritage located at World Heritage sites.

The course was organized by the Regional World Heritage Institute in Zacatecas and the National Institute of Anthropology and History, and taught by archaeologist Jorge Cuauhtémoc Martínez Huerta, a specialist with extensive experience in the field.

Sixteen profiles from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic participated in the training. The Lucio Costa Category 2 Center in Brazil also participated as an observer, as well as the UNESCO World Heritage Center.

 

 

Among the institutions that received the training, more than thirteen, were the Ministry of Culture of Mexico, the Ministry of Urban Development and Public Works of the State of Querétaro, the Ministry of Tourism of the State of Guanajuato, the Historic Center Trust of Mexico City, the INAH Centers of Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí, the Management of the Historic Center of Morelia, the Management of the Historic Center and Cultural Heritage of the Municipality of Puebla, the Municipal Planning Institute of the Municipality of Querétaro, the National Museum of Costa Rica, the National Council for the Protection of La Antigua, Guatemala, as well as the National Directorate of Monumental Heritage of the Ministry of Culture of the Dominican Republic.

 

 

At the end of the course, participants successfully applied the technique in their work environments and submitted products that demonstrated their learning. This will be beneficial for documentation, heritage capacity building, and risk management in the subregion of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. It should be noted that, given the extensive response to the call, which received more than 129 responses, including from countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Argentina, plans are underway to replicate the course in 2024, in collaboration with various institutions in both Mexico and South America.