Archives: managers and preservers of the documentation resulting from the confrontation with COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction. COVID-19 has come to change human lives as a worldwide health phenomenon. It is an experience that, despite its premature existence, is already historical and, consequently, the documentation resulting from its management is assumed to be of vital importance in the immediate future. A reflection of the role of the Archives, then, is valid and timely. Objective: to assess the role of these entities under a legal conception of the matter.
Methods. the scientific methods used were the theoretical-legal, historical-legal, and analytical-legal ones. As a technique, the analysis of legal documents was also used.
Results. an assessment of the social function of the Archives is obtained from a contemporary and holistic perspective. In the case of Cuba, the social order given to these entities from the colonial era to the current stage is analyzed, from the perspective of legislative history. This is linked to the preservation and maintenance of the paperwork generated by Cuban public institutions. Finally, the paper reflects on the role and social function of the Archives in the face of the pandemic.
Conclusions. The Archives, as public entities, are conservators of the documentation generated by a country. In Cuba, regulations encourage the Archives to fulfill their role, in their own right, during the performance of the functions and actions of these organizations, in the society of law. From now on, it is urgent to think, from the Document Management perspective, about how the living memory generated by the COVID-19 pandemic can be recovered.