THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT AWARDS THE AZTEC EAGLE TO ARCHITECT ÁLVARO COVACEVICH

• On behalf of the Mexican government, Undersecretary Norma Pensado bestowed the Order of the Aztec Eagle on the architect Álvaro Covacevich López

• The Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle is awarded to foreigners in recognition of their outstanding service to Mexico.

• Covacevich has been important in promoting Mexican culture.

Today, on behalf of the Mexican government, the Foreign Ministry’s Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, Ambassador Norma Pensado Moreno, awarded Alvaro Jorge Covacevich, a prominent Chilean filmmaker, collector and landscaper, with the insignia of the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle. Mr. Covacevich has been a tireless promoter and admirer of Mexican culture.

Born in Santiago, Chile, Covacevich has promoted Mexican culture in the country of his birth. He has also helped raise cultural awareness in Mexico, mainly in Veracruz, where he helped establish the Anthropology Museum in Jalapa and to recover a large number of archaeological pieces abroad. He also helped create a collection of works by Diego Rivera for the Veracruz Museum. In addition, he has participated with the Fondo de Cultura Economica in the creation of a Science and Culture Media Fund.

 Additionally, Covacevich produced a series of documentaries on "The Mexican Painters and Their World," which raised the public’s awareness of important Mexican artists. His commitment and work in bringing closer together the Mexican and Chilean cultures led to an exhibition of Mesoamerican archeological treasures entitled "Mexico: From the Corporeal to the Cosmos." In tribute to Mexico, the exhibit was presented at the La Moneda Palace Cultural Center in Santiago, Chile in 2006. The exhibition was visited by more than 1,200,000 people, making it the first exhibition of that size that Mexico had held in Latin America. In 2011, he helped bring the "Frida and Diego: Shared Lives" exhibit to the public; this was another important example of how he has promoted Mexican culture in Chile.

During the award ceremony in the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Pensado discussed Mr. Covacevich’s life and professional career saying that, through his efforts, he has built bridges of cooperation between Mexican and Chilean cultural institutions and contributed to expanding and strengthening the relationship between Mexico and Chile through various art forms. She stressed that cultural exchange is a central component of the strong links between the two countries.

The Order of the Aztec Eagle is the highest award given by the Mexican government to foreigners in recognition their prominent service to Mexico.