Latin America and Caribbean Chapter

Welcome to the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter (LAAC) of the Association for Preservation Technology International (APTI) encompassing Latin America and Caribbean professionals, companies and institutions. The LACC includes a territory of more than 20 million km2, more than 650 million people, a GDP higher than US$10,000,000 and a large number of listed Unesco World Heritage sites. Besides this, it is a territory of many pre-Columbian cultures, some of them matured into advanced civilizations such as the Maya, Aztec and Inca.

Latin America and the Caribbean is linked by our shared pre-colonial history, culture, methods of construction, geology, and geography. This history represents the common thread between Latin America and the Caribbean Archipelago. Additionally, the transatlantic slave trade contributed to worldwide patterns of history and by extension the Cultural Heritage of the region. Historic buildings and fortification systems tell the story of a robust economy built from enslaved skilled labor under the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, British and French occupation. Remarkable methods of construction, particularly defined by the mixture of the diverse cultures that cohabited in these places (the natives, the slaves, the colonizers), generated new and innovative methods, endowed with particular cultural meanings and historic significance of these structures, which are all part of the rich construction technology of the Latin America and the Caribbean. These uniqueness and variety truly encapsulate a rich heritage, and this is the narrative that LACC of the Association for Preservation Technology intends to capture and present globally through APTI.

The Chapter includes all the countries of South and Central America, Caribbean Region and Mexico.

Photo credits:
1) Viaducto El Saladillo, Tafi Viejo - Isabel de Valle Juarez
2) Salvador City, Bahia, Brazil - Renata Campiotto
3) Casco Viejo Panamá

ABOUT US
The initial idea about the creation of an APT Latin America and Caribbean Chapter originated during the APT San Juan 2007 Conference (San Juan, Puerto Rico, November 3-7, 2007). The Chapter was formally constituted in 2009 mainly as a result of the active participation of a large group of Latin America preservation specialists who were recipients of a Getty Foundation Professional Travel Grant.

The goals of the Latin America and Caribbean Chapter are as follows:

• To raise the profile of preservation technology in Latin America and Caribbean
• To foster training and professional education opportunities in preservation technology in Latin America and Caribbean
• To increase the international awareness and spread of APT International activities
• To increase Latin American and Caribbean participation in APT International activities
• To increase Latin American and Caribbean membership of APT International

The Latin America and Caribbean Chapter operates largely as a "virtual chapter" through virtual conferences and email correspondence with members. It is envisaged that the LACC will operate on several levels, as follows:

• As a co-sponsor and organizer of formal seminars or workshops on preservation technology topics with other preservation groups, possibly including organizations such as: ICOMOS International and National Committees DOCOMOMO International and Chapters INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (IDB), CEDODAL (Centro de Documentación de Arquitectura Latinoamericana), CENTROS or INSTITUTOS DE INVESTIGACIONES ESTETICAS attached to several recognized Latin American academic institutions traditionally dedicated to the study, teaching and practice of historic preservation in the region, RED IBEROAMERICANA PROTERRA, etc.
• As an informal email network among Latin American and Caribbean members of APT on topics relating to preservation technology.

BOARD MEMBERS
The chapter has been structured with a “zone oriented” Co-Chairs system for the administration and potential expansion of the Chapter within the vast Latin American and Caribbean territories.

- President: Juan Ricardo Alarcón Martinez (Mexico)
- Vice President: Juliana Prestes Ribeiro de Faria (Brazil)
- Vice President: Germaine Joseph (Saint Lucia)
- Past President: Marco Penido Rezende (Brazil)
- Director - Andean Region: Alberto Herrera Diaz (Colombia)
- Director - Brazil Region: Gláucia Nolasco de Almeida Mello (Brazil)
- Director - Caribbean Region: Danielle Steele (Trinidad and Tobago)
- Director - Mexico and Central America Region: Carlos Lara Treviño (Mexico)
- Director - Southern Cone Region: Beatriz Garzón (Argentina)

Any APT members proposing to visit Latin America, whether for business or pleasure are encouraged to contact the Latin America and Caribbean Chapter prior to their visit. Whenever possible, we will arrange meetings between visitors and Latin American and Caribbean APT members. These meetings aim to help visitors discover more about heritage-preservation activities in Latin America and Caribbean and provide LACC members with a window into the work being done by the visitors.

EVENTS
APT LACC aims to bring together people who are passionate about heritage preservation technology, history and architecture.

Over the year, APT LACC will host tours, networking events in different zones in Latin America and Caribbean, including:

• Workshops
• Lectures and seminars
• Network Events
• Co-Sponsor events with local statewide preservation organizations

JOIN US
Latin America and Caribbean residents can have a 40% discount or more to be a full member of APT International (APTI + Chapter member). If you want to apply for the full APTI + Chapter membership, send an email in English to [email protected] or in Spanish or Portuguese to [email protected] in order to have the discount code. If you are a full member you have a large number of benefits. See the membership flyer in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French.

You can be only a member of the Chapter with no fee. In order to apply to be a Chapter Member please fill in the form. If you apply to be a full member you do not need to fill in in this form.

CONTACT
[email protected]

Photo credits:
1) Dique La Angostura, El Mollar - Isabel de Valle Juarez
2) Paraty Village, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Renata Campiotto
3) Frontón Mexico CD - Gastón Enrique Segovia Molinas

Chapter Bylaws - English
Chapter Bylaws - Spanish
Chapter Bylaws - Portuguese

Getty Travel Assistance Recipients

2023 Getty Scholars 

2023 Posters

Germaine Joseph
Andrés Garviria
Mariana Klimkievicz
Thalita Oliveira