culture

Museum wrecked by vandalism

Sandra Rivera/LA PRENSA

De Obaldía museum1064833

The Museo José Domingo De Obaldía, which has been closed for the past eight months, has sustained thousands of dollars in damage due to vandalism.

According to Milagros Sánchez, a member of the Asociación Amigos del Museo, the situation was so bad that, at one point, a homeless person was sleeping in the facility.

“It is regrettable that a historical monument has been abandoned by the authorities of the Instituto Nacional de Cultural (Inac), when they are supposed to be maintaining it,” Sánchez said. “It’s unacceptable to ignore something as important as a museum.”

The museum property has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes as rain has collected in stagnant pools. Additionally, two iron gates have been stolen from the facility, a crime that allowed the homeless person to break into the museum.

Sánchez has sent a letter to municipal officials in David asking them to intervene, but Inac and the Dirección Nacional de Patrimonio Histórico has banned any work from taking place there.

Inac has been promising to make repairs to the museum for months, but so far no work has been done.