- The pieces returned to Mexico are very valuable in terms of age and are irreplaceable: Ebrard
Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and, virtually, Culture Secretary Alejandra Frausto were witnesses of honor this morning at an event at the Mexican embassy in Italy, in which three archaeological artifacts were returned to Mexico: a pre-Hispanic globular jar (300 BC-600 AD) and two anthropomorphic clay figurines from the Teotihuacan culture of the Mesoamerican Classic era (250-600 AD). Also present was the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Carmen Moreno.
The pieces were returned by the Commander of the Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (TPC) of Italy, Brigadier General Roberto Riccardi, and delivered to the Mexican ambassador in Italy, Carlos García de Alba. Since 2013, Mexico has collaborated with this specialized Italian command, resulting in the repatriation of 74 archaeological artifacts plus the three from today, and 594 ex-voto paintings.
At the event, the Foreign Secretary noted that the Mesoamerican globular jar and the two anthropomorphic clay figurines from Teotihuacan being returned to Mexico "are very valuable in terms of their age and are irreplaceable."
The pieces, part of Mexico’s historical heritage, were recovered by TPC carabinieri in Turin and Ancona. Investigations carried out in Italy confirmed their illegal exportation from Mexico. The Teotihuacan figurines were recovered thanks to the monitoring of e-commerce sites done by the specialized carabinieri unit on a daily basis. The globular jar was recovered after an investigation designed to combat the illegal art trade.
Secretary Ebrard recalled that, since 1970, the Paris Convention of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) calls on its member States to take timely action to prevent the purchase and facilitate the recovery of illegally exported objects.
He said that just yesterday Senate commissions approved the Unidroit Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, which now becomes part Mexico's legislation on the issue. The Foreign Secretary said that "people who buy and sell stolen pieces are criminals under Mexican law, so we are working with other countries that have similar regulations, since there is joint responsibility."
Foreign Secretary Ebrard thanked Brigadier General Roberto Riccardi and his team for working with Mexico, not only on returning archaeological artifacts but also on training a specialized corps in Mexico. Mexico now has a Unit for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, the first of its kind in Latin America, which will allow it to take "timely action at home and abroad, and in the illegal market," said the Secretary.
He noted that the General Riccardi was awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on September 27 for his invaluable collaboration in finding, seizing and repatriating Mexican archaeological pieces stolen and then auctioned off in Italy.
Culture Secretary Alejandra Frausto sent a virtual message thanking Italy and the Carabinieri for their collaboration and for returning the pieces, which will be studied and returned to the communities from which they came.
“Italy continues to set an example with its commitment to its heritage and that of other nations. It means a lot to Mexico that the pieces being returned today will be repatriated and the communities where they were made centuries ago will be able to see them. These communities are still alive and need to learn about and appreciate their deep roots.”
She reiterated her call to auction houses not to offer this art that is part of the nation's heritage, and to collectors not to buy pieces that were illegally stolen. “Mexico's heritage is not a luxury item for a collector; it is not something that should decorate a house; it is part of our roots; [these pieces] are witnesses to what we are as a country. We call on people not to buy this art, not to acquire this art as if they were acquiring an ornamental object. They are part of our national identity."
In his remarks, General Riccardi said, "One of the fundamental principles of human ethics, of natural law, is to give to each his own. Therefore, we are pleased to return to our Mexican friends pieces that belong to to their history and identity. The more valuable the pieces are, the happier we will be to return them.”
The Government of Mexico reaffirms its commitment to collaborating internationally to ensure that our cultural property is returned and to combat the sale and trafficking of Mexican cultural objects abroad.
