In studies on cultural heritage in Mexico, the role of the state as an actor, arbitrator, and ultimately custodian is taken as a given. The questions generally revolve around two areas: the technical, historical, architectural, or cultural data that allow a construction or activity to be considered part of heritage, or the capacity of the authority to adopt principles on heritage conservation that have been adopted in other countries or international organizations. In light of this, the present work analyzes the issue of heritage as a conflict between a Mexican civil organization that questions the role that the authority should play in safeguarding heritage and the state institutions that study and protect cultural goods. The case study is the archaeological site of Huapalcalco in Hidalgo, the participation of the local civil society, particularly the organization Niebla y Tiempo, the local government, and the National Institute of Anthropology and History in achieving this designation during the years 2008 to 2020.
