The director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) of Mexico, Diego Prieto, announced that after decades of struggle, they have managed to recover a piece from the Olmec culture that is at least 2500 years old and was located in the United States.
During President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s press conference, the official explained that this piece represents the “earth monster” and speaks of the great skill of the mother culture. The heritage will be returned to the country next week.
According to Prieto, this figure is part of the primordial civilization of the extensive cultural area known as Mesoamerica and was located in Denver, Colorado. Mexico began the process of reclaiming it in the mid-20th century.
The director of INAH stated that this recovery is the most significant in terms of archaeological heritage in the 21st century thus far, and he expressed gratitude for the collaboration of the New York Prosecutor’s Office in the process.
Prieto highlighted that the recovery of cultural assets has been a priority for the current government. In this case, the efforts were carried out by the Foreign Ministry, the Consulate of Mexico in New York, the Ministry of Culture, and INAH.
The piece will be repatriated on May 19th via a military aircraft, following the instruction of the president and upon the indication of the Secretary of National Defense, Luis Crescencio Sandoval, as reported by Prieto.
Initially, the artwork will be exhibited at the Regional Museum of the Peoples of Morelos, formerly known as the Palace of Cortés, which houses murals by the artist Diego Rivera.