Liwy Grazioso
Liwy Grazioso | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Liwy Grazioso in 2024 | |
| Minister of Culture and Sports | |
| In office 15 January 2024 – 6 April 2026 | |
| President | Bernardo Arévalo |
| Preceded by | Felipe Aguilar |
| Succeeded by | Luis Méndez Salinas |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Independent |
| Alma mater | National School of Anthropology and History |
Liwy del Carmen Immacolata Grazioso Sierra is a Guatemalan archaeologist, academic and politician. She served as Minister of Culture and Sports of Guatemala between 2024 and 2026. She previously directed the Museo Miraflores.
Education
Grazioso obtained a degree in archaeology from the National School of Anthropology and History in Mexico, where she also completed a master’s degree in Mesoamerican studies.[1]
Career
She has devoted her professional career primarily to the conservation of cultural heritage and coordinated the project to restructure the National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico.[1] Grazioso directed the Museo Miraflores.[2]
On 8 January 2024, newly elected President Bernardo Arévalo presented his cabinet and announced Liwy Grazioso as the new minister of culture and sports.[3] She was sworn in on 15 January 2024 by President Arévalo at National Palace.[4][5] She spearheaded conservation projects for sites such as Takalik Abaj, including initiatives focused on sustainable management and the use of technology to protect cultural heritage.[6]
During her tenure Grazioso faced controversy over the raid on the Museum of Colonial Art in Antigua Guatemala, where the Public Prosecutor’s Office seized numerous cultural artefacts.[7][8] She was also accused of a potential conflict of interest in arms procurement contracts linked to family members, which is being investigated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.[7] Furthermore, she faced criticism for authorising a project at the University of San Carlos, which led to institutional conflict and the closure of the campus.[7]
She represented Guatemala at the funeral of Pope Francis on 26 April 2025.[9]
Grazioso resigned for personal reasons on 6 April 2026 during a cabinet meeting, which President Arévalo confirmed shortly afterwards at a press conference.[1][10] She was succeeded by Luis Méndez Salinas the following day.[11]
References
- 1 2 3 Reyes, Ingrid (6 April 2026). "Renuncia ministra de Cultura y Deportes, Liwy Grazioso" [Resignation of the Minister for Culture and Sport, Liwy Grazioso]. Prensa Libre (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ Reyes, Ingrid (26 October 2022). "Museo Miraflores: el proyecto que comenzó en una pequeña sala de exposiciones se ha convertido en un referente por su diseño e interactividad" [Miraflores Museum: the project that began in a small exhibition space has become a benchmark for its design and interactivity]. Prensa Libre (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ Cué Barbarena, Ramiro (11 January 2026). "Las caras del gabinete paritario de Bernardo Arévalo, el primero en la historia de Guatemala" [The members of Bernardo Arévalo’s gender-balanced cabinet, the first of its kind in Guatemala’s history]. France 24 (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ Aldana, Marysabel (15 January 2024). "Maratónica jornada concluye con juramentación del Gabinete de Bernardo Arévalo" [A marathon day concludes with the swearing-in of Bernardo Arévalo’s Cabinet]. La Hora (Guatemala) (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ Arellano, Pavel (15 January 2024). "Gabinete de Bernardo Arévalo: Presidente juramenta a los nuevos ministros y secretarios de Estado" [Bernardo Arévalo’s Cabinet: President swears in new ministers and secretaries of state]. Prensa Libre (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ "Ministra Liwy Grazioso sostiene reunión estratégica para impulsar futuros proyectos en Tak'alik Ab'aj" [Minister Liwy Grazioso holds a strategic meeting to promote future projects in Tak’alik Ab’aj]. Ministry of Culture and Sports (in Spanish). 24 February 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 Pineda, Sandy. "Allanamientos, armas y ahora USAC: las polémicas en el Ministerio de Cultura bajo mandato de Liwy Grazioso" [Raids, weapons and now USAC: the controversies at the Ministry of Culture under Liwy Grazioso]. Prensa Libre (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ Estuardo Guzmán, Diego (15 January 2026). "«Nos obligaron a sacar todos los bienes»: ministra de Cultura por cierre de Museo de Arte Colonial" [“They forced us to remove all the artefacts”: Minister of Culture on the closure of the Museum of Colonial Art]. La Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Guatemala despide al Papa Francisco" [Guatemala bids farewell to Pope Francis]. Government of Guatemala (in Spanish). 6 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ Garcia, Jessica (7 April 2026). "La ministra de Cultura y Deportes de Guatemala Liwy Grazioso renunció al cargo" [Guatemala’s Minister of Culture and Sport, Liwy Grazioso, has resigned from her post]. Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ Pérez Marroquín, César (7 April 2026). "Nombran a Luis Méndez Salinas ministro de Cultura y Deportes tras renuncia de Liwy Grazioso" [Luis Méndez Salinas has been appointed Minister of Culture and Sport following Liwy Grazioso’s resignation]. Prensa Libre (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 May 2026.