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Mexico City, September 28, 2004- “Today Mexico welcomes home this beautiful 16th century altar piece as U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies stand together to celebrate a joint success,” said U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza. “The return of this work of art restores a priceless part of the cultural and religious heritage to the people of Mexico.”
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza congratulated the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs investigators who found the stolen artwork being sold in Santa Fe, New Mexico in May this year. The altar piece had been stolen in 2001, leading to an Interpol alert to the U.S. officials.
Ambassador Garza added, “This is one small demonstration of our commitment to vigorously enforce our laws and our international agreements that protect Mexico’s cultural patrimony.”
The U.S. government recovered the altar piece in New Mexico, shipped it to Mexico and turned it over the Federal Agency for Investigations (AFI) during today’s ceremony.
Also at the ceremony were the Mexican Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha and the Director General of the National Institute for Anthropology and History (INAH) Sergio Raul Arroyo Garcia.
The 6-by-4 foot wood-carved artifact represents St. Francis receiving the stigmas of Christ; it was part of the chapel of the Third Order from the Franciscan’s ex-convent in Tochimilco, located in the state of Puebla on the southeast slope of the Popocatepetl Volcano.
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