With movement of people limited and almost all museums, theaters, libraries, world heritage sites and other tourist places closed and, the crisis has struck the cultural life and tourism industry hardest in these countries. The financial challenge stems from the fact that many cultural workers and artists have lost their source of income. Besides, the cancellation of all activities cause hardship for small and medium size businesses, which are the major component in this sector.
In Costa Rica, for example, an online survey was conducted by the Ministry of Culture and Youth in late March to collect information about impacts of the pandemic on the cultural sector. The results are appalling: The Ministry estimates that 12.3% of the total of art workers surveyed live in a state of poverty and extreme poverty, which makes them especially vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic. According to the survey, the main economic concerns of the members of the cultural and arts sector are the following: the loss of income derived from cancellations (22%), the breach of its obligations with the State and / or public services (16%), the loss of employment (12%), and the impossibility of dealing with debts and credits (9%).
This data has helped the government and policy makers to draw a clearer map of the sector in its multiple levels, which are largely informal. The result has shown that the current on-going crisis has impact on all sectors among in the culture industry, where the majority are young employees with relatively low and unstable income. Costa Rica has adopted a series of measures to help this sector.
Despite this, many creative workers from all countries in the region maintain a positive attitude and proactively participate in online activities to transmit their creation digitally and communicate with the rest of society. The governments are also trying to help from the policy level by finding solution to provide better access to culture and public information and by accelerating the process of social insurance for artists and informal workers in the culture sector. In Panama, for example, the Ministry of Culture has launched the program #MiCulturaEnCasa, which offers cultural content through the mass media and social networks. In addition, the Ministry has expressed support for groups of professionals in the arts and culture of the country that have been affected by the crisis, ensuring that these people and their families have access to food, medicine and basic services such as water, electricity, health and internet services.
The pandemic also has impacted the living heritage of local communities in the region. For instance, the suspension of the Holy Week religious rituals and other big and small traditional activities, has not only caused an economic loss, but more importantly, it has affected social cohesion and the cultural identities of these communities. The migrants are especially vulnerable regarding their cultural rights and access to public resources during crisis.
Beside all above mentioned, UNESCO has also been coordinating aspects of education and culture with SICA (Central American Integration System). Currently the cooperation focuses on three main lines — the inclusion of culture in the Regional Plan of Contingence, the promotion of culture in the region through a regional digital platform, and the integration of inter-sectoral efforts.
