Nine works by Manuel Scorza are declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation

The Ministry of Culture declared nine (09) bibliographic units (1955-1983) of the literary production of Manuel Scorza Torres, belonging to the National Library of Peru, as Cultural Heritage of the Nation. The decision is contained in Viceministerial Resolution No. 000283-2026-VMPCIC/MC, signed on September 29, 2026, in San Borja and published in the official newspaper El Peruano on Monday, October 5, 2026.

The regulation was issued by the Viceministry of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Industries of the Ministry of Culture, in exercise of the exclusive function recognized by literal a) of article 14 of Law No. 29565, the Law creating the Ministry of Culture. The declaration is based on numeral 1.2 of article 1 of Law No. 28296, General Law of the Cultural Heritage of the Nation, which integrates bibliographic and archival documents, rare manuscripts, incunabula, books, and ancient publications of special interest due to their historical, artistic, scientific, or literary value into the heritage.

The file originated from Official Letter No. 000446-2026-BNP-J from the Institutional Leadership of the National Library of Peru, which submitted the proposal for the declaration. The Directorate of Collection Protection adopted Technical Report No. 000069-2026-BNP-J-DPC-UVDP, prepared by the Functional Unit for the Valuation and Defense of Bibliographic Documentary Heritage, through Report No. 000118-2026-BNP-J-DPC. The ministry’s General Office of Legal Counsel issued Elevation Sheet No. 000443-2026-OGAJ-SG/MC.

The value of Scorza’s legacy

According to the resolution, the nine bibliographic units stand out for their significance to Peruvian culture because they contribute to the rescue of the collective memory of historically displaced populations. The regulation indicates that these works denounce serious social injustices such as political persecution, corruption, and racism, which their protagonists face.

Likewise, the official text emphasizes that the work of Manuel Scorza Torres describes Andean cultural practices within a universe inhabited by magical characters, whose extraordinary abilities operate as metaphors for social reality and as mechanisms for the preservation of Andean identity.

Scope of protection

Article 1 of the resolution declares the nine bibliographic units (1955-1983) as Cultural Heritage of the Nation, in accordance with the annexes that form part of the regulation. Article 2 provides for the notification of the decision to the National Library of Peru, and Article 3 orders the publication of the resolution and its respective annexes in the official newspaper El Peruano and on the digital site of the Ministry of Culture (www.gob.pe/cultura).

The declaration is supported by the following regulatory framework:

• Law No. 28296, General Law of the Cultural Heritage of the Nation.
• Law No. 29565, Law creating the Ministry of Culture.
• Single Ordered Text of Law No. 27444, Law of General Administrative Procedure, approved by Supreme Decree No. 006-2026-JUS.

Article 19 of Law No. 28296 entrusts the Ministry of Culture, the National Library, and the General Archive of the Nation with the identification, inventory, enrollment, registration, research, protection, conservation, dissemination, and promotion of the assets comprising the Cultural Heritage of the Nation within their jurisdiction.

Official protection for a bibliographic collection

The measure grants official protection to a collection that spans nearly three decades of the author’s literary production and remains under the custody of the National Library of Peru. With the declaration, the nine units are formally incorporated into the Cultural Heritage of the Nation and are subject to the conservation, registration, and dissemination actions corresponding to the Ministry of Culture and the National Library of Peru.

Source: El Peruano, Year XLIII - No. 19559, Monday, October 5, 2026, Legal Norms, p. 3 (official reference: R.VM. No. 000283-2026-VMPCIC/MC).