The SRE delivers to the INAH 52 pieces returned from individuals in the US

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) formalized the delivery of 52 archaeological pieces to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), a new batch of recoveries that adds to the more than 2 thousand cultural objects returned during the first year of President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo’s government.

According to a statement from the SRE released yesterday, this action highlights the defense of historical heritage and national roots as one of the guiding axes of current Mexican foreign policy.

The material delivery of the goods was carried out on December 5 through the Legal Consultancy of the Chancellery. According to the agency, these pieces were “voluntarily returned by individuals,” who took the initiative to contact the diplomatic representations of Mexico. Specifically, returns were managed through the Mexican embassy in the United States, as well as in the consulates located in the cities of New York, Sacramento and San Francisco.

After receiving the objects, INAH specialists made the corresponding opinions to verify their authenticity and origin. The analysis concluded that, in accordance with the Federal Law on Monuments and Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Zones, “said assets belong to the cultural heritage of the nation.” The expert report detailed that the pieces have “stylistic features of the Mexica, Teotihuacan and Zapotec cultures, and were made between the years 500 BC and 1521 AD.”

The government of Mexico reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the country’s cultural identity and assured that the authorities will continue with “inter-institutional work and international cooperation to combat the illicit trafficking of heritage goods and return them to their places of origin.”