Image: Radio Ariguanabo
During the first half of the XIX Century in San Antonio de los Baños, the Sheriff and Mayor Councilor of the City Council, Don Diego José Gutiérrez, was appointed as the first Inspector of Arts and Crafts, a gratuitous position that initially caused controversy.
On January 16, 1837, the first Inspector of Arts and Crafts was named in San Antonio de los Baños. The representative of that position had the responsibility of guarding the streets to prevent young people from wandering around the municipality. The first named inspector was Don Diego José Gutiérrez, who had been the author of the project and deserved the approval of General Tacón. A distinctive feature of this citizen position is that it was free.
Many ariguanabenses were against Don Diego's idea. However, the influence and prestige of the Sheriff and Mayor Councilor of the City Council made him succeed in his endeavors. In 1843, the Central Government determined that the Patriotic Society be in charge of this matter.
In 1837, Don Diego José Gutiérrez held the position of Inspector of Arts and Crafts in the Villa. Gutiérrez also belonged to the Economic Society, which assigned him the responsibility to continue in office. Although he renounced the position of Sheriff and Mayor Councilor, Don Diego continued to hold the position of Inspector of Arts and Crafts, because he was carrying out a more important work: the sanitation and moralization of society.
