Cultural rights in Argentina 2020-2023. Policies, inequalities, and obstacles conditioning their fulfillment

Abstract

This article analyzes the exercise of cultural rights in Argentina between 2020 and 2023, addressing the policies implemented, persistent inequalities, and obstacles hindering their full fulfillment. Since cultural rights are fundamental human rights and their universalization a key objective, we emphasize the active role of the State to promote and guarantee them. These rights have been historically underestimated, and significant inequities persist in the production and circulation of cultural goods and services, resulting in power and access asymmetries that limit cultural participation. Methodologically, a qualitative and comparative study was conducted in six regions of Argentina, through the analysis of public sources and 45 interviews with key stakeholders from public, private, and civil society sectors. The results indicate that the most frequent mentions refer to "Cultural policies (non-state) promoted by various agents of the cultural sector" and "Inequalities in participation in cultural production based on the conditions of cultural employment." Other findings reveal how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated precariousness and informality in the cultural sector, prompting the formation of community associations and networks as efficient responses to the lack of state mediation.