How the spring equinox endangers the archeological areas of Mexico

Thousands of people travel each the spring equinox at famous Mexican archaeological sites such as Chichen Itza or Teotihuacan to "charge energy", but his visit puts the heritage at risk, so that more and more voices are calling for a regulations for access to these historic sites for their protection.

Although in the country there are 191 archaeological areas and a paleontological area (Rincón Colorado, in Coahuila), are Teotihuacán (State of Mexico), Chichén Itzá and Dzibilchaltún (Yucatán), Cholula (Puebla), Cuicuilco and Templo Mayor (Mexico), El Cerrito (Querétaro), San Gervasio and Tulum (Quintana Roo ), Tula (Hidalgo) and El Tajín (Veracruz) receiving a larger flow of tourists.

Only in Teotihuacán is expected to host around 60,000 people tomorrow, while in Chichen Itza it is expected to accommodate 14,000 people.

The fact that the equinox comes during the week prevents more people from going to these areas.

Some steps have already been taken to protect Mexico's historic heritage. For example, in Chichén Itzá's pyramid of Kukulcán, visitors can not climb for more than a decade.

However, in Teotihuacán, thousands of people can climb the pyramids of the sun and the moon tomorrow, with the wear and tear that this implies for the construction.

In fact, ten years ago People could spend up to four hours in a row to reach the top of one of their pyramids.

In an interview that Rogelio Rivero, director of the Archaeological Zone of Teotihuacán, offered to L & # 39; s universal, commented that his goal "is that the visitor himself helps us preserve the heritage and that it is the same visitor who tries not to go up if it is not necessary ".

For Leonardo López Luján, director of the Templo Mayor project, the sites they must be protected "at all costs". The manager explained that one way to do this is to there are no concerts, light shows or food sales, as they are not designed for this purpose.

Regulate the progressive access of visitors to the epoch of the equinox, limit routes in vulnerable areas and prevent the ascent to the pyramids by areas other than the stairsThere are other actions that would serve to protect spaces, said López Luján.

National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) will implement a security operation in archaeological areas from March 21 to 24. The idea is that there is a "methodical visit to the zones, andto raise awareness of the importance and social co-responsibility of national heritage conservation. "