La construcción de un régimen de patrimonio cultural en riesgo bajo el derecho internacional humanitario: hacia la creación de un sistema de alertas tempranas para la protección de bienes culturales en Colombia, inspirado en la experiencia de Machu Picchu (Perú) y el sistema de monitoreo de la Unesco.

Abstract

The protection of cultural heritage constitutes a fundamental commitment of the Colombian State in response to threats arising from armed conflict, illegal mining, drug trafficking, and uncontrolled urbanization. These dynamics have continuously exposed both tangible and intangible cultural assets to vulnerability, thereby endangering the nation’s collective memory and identity. Based on the identification and evidence of the results obtained during the academic exchange in the Republic of Peru between October 26 and November 2, 2025, and with the aim of establishing, from a legal and technical perspective, the approach to the thematic framework developed in this document, the need arises to structure an early warning system for the protection of cultural heritage at risk in Colombia. This system would integrate International Humanitarian Law (IHL), International Human Rights Law (IHRL), and the Colombian constitutional framework. The proposed model draws on the conservation experience of Machu Picchu (Peru) and the monitoring mechanisms developed by UNESCO, with the goal of establishing a preventive and coordinated tool that strengthens the legal and technical protection of cultural heritage in Colombia.