This Thursday, February 21, 2013, local officials from the Ministry of Culture and National Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu organized a press conference in the Inca Citadel. On this occasion, journalists from Cusco, Lima and various foreign countries were invited to participate. An important operation of manipulation of information was then implemented by those officials whose statements were widely reported the next day in both local and national press.
In its edition of February 22, 2013, the newspaper El Diario el Sol de Cusco, always hostile to Thierry Jamin and his team, headlined on its front page “La puerta seguirá cerrada. Dirección de Cultura de Cusco rechaza solicitud para que ONG Inkari excave en Machupicchu” (“The door will remain closed. Direction of Culture of Cusco rejects for NGOs Inkari dig in Machu Picchu“). The newspaper devoted its entire page 3 to the “case”…and it was not sad! A textbook case of manipulation of information, signed Fernando Astete, director of the National Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu! Judge for yourself:
The newspaper El Diario el Sol de Cusco, devoted a “special page” in Machu Picchu case, accompanied by an almost defamatory title: “Dirección de Cultura rechaza pedido de buscadores de tesoros. Excavaciones en Machupicchu pondrían en riesgo muros y recintos incas de la maravilla del mundo” (“Department of Culture rejects treasure hunters. Excavations at Machu Picchu would jeopardize Inca Walls and enclosures wonder of the world“)…The suite is not sad either!
The article begins by stating that the Regional Director of Culture at the time, David Ugarte Vega Centeno, had just announced that the application for a license by the Inkari Institute – Cusco, to achieve the opening of the burial chambers discovered at Machu Picchu, would not be approved by the Regional Office because the project would put on serious risks the legendary Inca City, now considered as Wonder of the World and Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This statement was delivered to journalists during a “organized tour” intented to explain to the worldwide media the “claims” (sic) of the NGO Inkari – Cusco.
During the visit, the “specialists” of the Regional Directorate of Culture – Cusco, warned that “to enable the realization of excavations at Machu Picchu, such as Inkari Cusco NGO and the French citizen Thierry Jamin are requesting, to discover the supposed Pachakuteq tomb, would seriously jeopardize the stability of the walls and the buildings of fine invoice that shape the architectural wonder fo the world“.
Those responsible for the conservation of Machu Picchu directed by Fernando Astete Victoria, Director of the park, “revealed that treasure hunters, already mentioned, do not claim unless to stir more than 600 square meters of land“.
This statement, along with defamatory comments (“treasure hunters“), is completely false. As Internet users will be able to see for themselves by visiting the project in question, presented in the “Documents” section of this Internet website, the team of Thierry Jamin speaks only to remove 2 to 5 cubic meters of small stones: the rubble deposited at the entrance discovered by David Crespy in 2010 to block the access to the stairs leading to the underground chambers.And nothing more!
Fernando Astete Victoria, the source of these false statements, adds that “it would be a real barbarism that affect several buildings, passages, walls and terraces that would eventually break down, and that we will not allow“. In the explanations given by the “experts” of Machu Picchu, the archaeologist Piedad Champi, responsible for the maintenance of the Inca citadel, reported that archaeological research had already taken place three years ago, on the building in question: “By conducting excavationson the original floor, we found fragments of ceramic and metals, and it was confirmed that the soil is composed of rocks and stones, an architectural style used in this place. Machu Picchu was built on a granite chao, that is to say on a promontory of rocks irregularly accumulated“. Between these rocks appear empty spaces that may be mistaken for passages or underground chambers, she said.
But what the geo-radars show is completely different! (Diagnostic Georadars: Part 1 – Part 2). Localized cavities are regular. The main chamber, forming of square, measures three meters wide and is directed north-south. Archaeological material is generally associated with these cavities with long shapes and human scale. Therefore, it cannot be “empty spaces” as claimed by Mrs. Piedad Champi. The whole corresponds to a conventional funeral patron from the pre-Hispanic times. “Specialists” responsible for Machu Picchu can’t ignore that.
Fernando Astete Victoria then asserts that the technical project presented by the “French Citizen” included a simple plan of the building without any sketches or other details explaining the technical and scientific way of achieving the excavations…which is, of course, completely false, as industry professionals will realize by consulting the project in question in the “Documents” section of this website.
Fernando Astete Victoria, in his willingness to put Thierry Jamin’s team for a group of amateur and simple “treasure hunters“, adds that “a scientific work cannot be achieved so improvised with the sole purpose of discovering fabulous treasures like these citizen are dreaming“.
The general public and specialists of archaeological research can enjoy this unbelievable operation of intoxication and manipulation of information. A total lack of intellectual honesty and professional ethics!
This “Machu Picchu Case” is completely summarized in this bidonné (bogus) press conference held in the Inca citadel Thursday, February 21, 2013 to discredit the team of Thierry Jamin and their research project.
On February 22, 2013, the newspaper El Diario del Cusco, titled to is turn on its first page “Excavaciones en Machu Picchu pondrían en riesgo muros y recintos incas de la maravilla del mundo” (“Excavations at Machu Picchu would jeopardize Inca walls and enclosures of the wonder of the world“). The daily of Cusco then devoted its page 2 to the “tour” organized the day before by the heads of the Regional Directorate of Culture – Cusco and the National Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. The content of this article is naturally made of the false information presented yesterday by the so-called “experts” of the Inca citadel.
A few days later, in its Sunday edition of 24 February, 2013, the newspaper El Diario el Sol del Cusco devoted a special new edition, page 8, entitled “La búsqueda del “tesoro inka” en Machupicchu. Entre la ficción del cine y la realidad científica. En siglos pasados “waquear” estuvo de moda” (“The search for the “Inca treasure” in Machupicchu. Between fiction film and scientific reality. In the past centuries “waquear” was fashionable“). In this article, the author, Mrs. Bertha Bermúdez Zamalloa establishes upon four columns a parallel between the huaqueros, or robbers of archaeological treasures and Thierry Jamin’s research. And as to emphasize this idea, the newspaper published a photo of American actor Charlton Heston, wearing a hat and a leather jacket from the famous film “The Secret of The Incas” (1954) in which he played the role of a corrupt archaeologist and treasure hunter. On the right side of this picture, as a parallel, the log shows a picture of Thierry Jamin wearing a leather jacket and a similar felt hat.
Death Threats
After weeks of controversy in Peru, maintained by some local media and officials of the Regional Directorate of Culture – Cusco and the National Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu , Thierry Jamin received at his home on Tuesday, February 26, 2013, an anonymous letter slipped under his door and containing a warning notice without any ambiguity: “Te van a matar! Go out!” , in English: “They will kill you! Get out!”
On February 28, 2013, the newspaper El Diario el Sol del Cusco responded to these threats and headlined on its front page “Thierry Jamin es amenazado de muerte. Arqueólogo francés recibió mensaje en sobre manila” (“Thierry Jamin is threatened. French archaeologist received a message in manila“). In an article, then broadcasted on page 2, the reporter Jonathan Carlos C. returns to this new twist of “Machu Picchu Case”. A black and white photograph shows Thierry Jamin holding in his hand the anonymous document, followed by a rather laconic caption: “El turista denunció la amenaza con el propositio de exigir garantías para su vida“. (“The tourist reported the threat to the proposition to require security for your life“).
A few days later, Jamin reported to the National Police of Cusco (District of Santiago) this anonymous document. Police takes the matter seriously enough to put the French researcher under Police protection for several weeks. It will also launch several investigations in order to find the author of the threats. In vain. The matter will rest here and the case will be closed with no further actions undertaken a few months later.
In March 2013, reacting to the incessant attacks through the media officials of the Regional Directorate of Culture – Cusco and Machu Picchu National Historic Sanctuary, Thierry Jamin is forced to take legal actions against these slanders libels repeated daily.
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