Critic: It’s Time to Ban Advertising Banners on Mérida’s Historic Buildings

A Mérida city chronicler is calling on authorities to ban advertising banners on historic buildings after promotional material appeared on the Teatro José Peón Contreras.

Gonzalo Navarrete Muñoz says the practice disrespects Yucatán’s built heritage and potentially damages centuries-old structures. His criticism follows the recent placement of a banner on the theater advertising Original Yucatán, a national textile exhibition.

The theater, which dates from 1908, joins a list of colonial churches where Navarrete has observed similar advertising, including Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Mejorada, El Jesús (also known as the Church of the Third Order), and the Convent of Nuestra Señora de la Consolación, locally called Monjas.

“There are two serious aspects to consider: the affront to the buildings, the lack of respect for them, and second, the damage they cause, because we need to investigate how these banners are attached,” Navarrete said.

The historian noted that at El Jesús church, a concert banner was attached with a metal anchor, damaging the temple’s structure.

“What should we expect, that colonial buildings are rented to advertise dances, concerts and festivals? Who are the custodians of these buildings who allow this?” he asked.

Navarrete criticized Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) for inaction, saying “nobody does anything, nobody feels addressed by this violation of the built heritage of the people.”

INAH is responsible for over 110,000 historic monuments built between the 16th and 19th centuries throughout Mexico. The federal agency must approve modifications to buildings in designated historic centers.

Historic Buildings Abused

Navarrete’s concerns extend beyond advertising to overall preservation. He said the Church of Mejorada is blackened by smog from passing buses, the 16th-century Monjas convent shows severe structural damage, and the Chapel of Nuestra Señora del Rosario in the Canto Morel building on Calle 61 sits abandoned despite being older than Mérida’s cathedral.

The San Francisco Javier hall, part of the former state congress building, is filled with files “as if it were a garbage dump” and in clear deterioration, he added.

“We are co-owners of churches and colonial buildings,” Navarrete said. He compared the situation unfavorably to Paris, noting that museums there don’t display banners advertising festivals.

The chronicler called for authorities to ban advertising on emblematic buildings and take a more active stance on preservation. He suggested that penal codes should include damage to heritage and damage to the city as criminal offenses.

Mérida’s historic center covers 3.88 square kilometers (1.5 square miles) with approximately 20,000 properties of historical value. The district faces ongoing challenges balancing preservation with modern use.

Sources: Diario de Yucatán, Wikipedia