Cultural Institute missed critical UNESCO meeting

THE FIRING this week of Mariana Núñez Director of the National Institute of Culture (Inac) meant that no one from the institution attended a meeting of Unesco where it was to present a report on the state of the historic sites in Portobelo and San Lorenzo.

Panama’s ambassador to Unesco Flavio Méndez represented the country.
 Mariana Núñez was slated to attend, the meeting in Germany but she was removed from office by President Juan Carlos Varela.Méndez is expected to present a report at the meeting.
“All the necessary documentation will be provided,” he said.
Both colonial forts, which are Unesco World Heritage Sites, were included on an endangered list in 2012.
The sites need an estimated $11 million for repairs.