Internet and Legislation on the Protection and Conservation of Cultural Heritage in Ecuador

Abstract

The safeguarding of cultural heritage is a fundamental duty of the Ecuadorian State, is enshrined in the Constitution of Ecuador and has an established legal and institutional framework. The Internet has become an essential ally for the protection, conservation and dissemination of cultural heritage. The fundamental purpose of this work is to identify in the network the relevant aspects and the theoretical-methodological approaches in the main instruments governing the protection of heritage in the country. Through the bibliographic review and content analysis, the main documents establishing policies on the preservation of the material and intangible cultural heritage have been examined and evaluated. In the context of the new trends in economic and tourist characterization of the heritage, this research criticized the legal regulations of a legal nature responsible for managing and preserving the assets via the Internet; it also contributes to the systematization and dissemination of these instruments.