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News > Mexico

Mexico Protects Indigenous & Afro-descendant People’s Heritage

  • An Indigenous Otomies woman sells dolls in Mexico City, Mexico, Dec. 17, 2019.

    An Indigenous Otomies woman sells dolls in Mexico City, Mexico, Dec. 17, 2019. | Photo: EFE

Published 5 December 2021
Opinion

The Senate passed a law setting administrative and criminal penalties for those who illegally copy or usufruct the cultural expressions of these communities.


Mexico's Senate approved a law aimed at protecting the cultural heritage of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities.

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The law establishes administrative and criminal penalties for those who illegally copy or usufruct the cultural expressions of these peoples.

The penalties are up to 18 years in prison for foreign brands and national companies that steal their designs.

Two procedures are established to initiate a complaint. The first option is to present a lawsuit before the Culture Ministry, the National Institute of Copyrights, and the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples. 

The other way is to file a formal denunciation to the Attorney General's Office (FGR) and federal courts on non-consensual use of cultural heritage for profit grounds.

Indigenous Afro-descendant people's cultural heritage can be used 
prior consent and agreement, so that in case of collaboration there can be a fair payment to communities.

"The Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities will no longer be defenseless before the despicable attitude of foreign brands that, with impunity, plagiarize textiles and art, without any respect," MORENA lawmaker Ricardo Monreal said. 

Mexico is home to 68 Indigenous people's communities. The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) reported that 21.5 percent of the Mexican population identifies themselves as Indigenous, while 12 million inhabitants reported living in Indigenous households.

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