President Claudia Sheinbaum announced in her morning conference a comprehensive strategy to protect the designs of Indigenous peoples from cultural appropriation by international brands such as Zara and Christian Dior. These brands have been criticized for using traditional Mexican patterns without giving credit or compensation to their creators. Together with the Ministry of Culture and the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), the government will implement a support program for indigenous artisans. The main objective is to provide credits, strengthen marketing networks, and transform the National Fund for the Promotion of Handicrafts (Fonart) to ensure fair trade.
The strategy includes expanding direct sales markets to curb the plagiarism of Mexican designs and create economic opportunities for Indigenous peoples, the true designers. The idea is for handicrafts, mainly made by indigenous women, to reach the entire country and the world at fair prices and without abusive intermediaries. Sheinbaum emphasizes the importance of protecting, valuing, and respecting Mexico's cultural heritage so that communities receive the recognition and compensation they deserve.
Cultural appropriation has affected Indigenous communities in Mexico for years. The Casa del Pueblo, a space for exhibition and sale in Los Pinos, will be replicated in various cities across the country to allow more artisans to sell their products without intermediaries and with a better profit margin. Additionally, the government plans to legally protect traditional designs, requiring brands that use them to seek authorization and pay royalties to the creator communities. Sheinbaum highlights that the goal is to fight against cultural exploitation and ensure that communities receive fair benefits for their work.
In Sheinbaum's words: “How many times have we not seen a huipil from Oaxaca or Guerrero in the collections of international designers, without anything reaching those who created it?” The message is clear: it is necessary to take measures to protect Mexican cultural heritage and ensure fair trade that benefits the creator communities.
