Courtesy from the Venezuelan government
The 196 archaeological pieces returned to Costa Rica by the Venezuelan government were to be auctioned in the United States. They entered illegally into Venezuelan territory in 2012 and were confiscated in 2013.
Some of the pre-Columbian pieces returned are metates, a kind of mortar used to grind grain, sculptures that evoke the role of women, men, and warriors in ancient civilizations, in addition to two spheres of the Southern Zone.
The return made by the Ministry of Popular Power for Culture was organized with the National Museum on December 21st. The 196 pieces were part of a lot close to 567 cultural pieces, ready to be smuggled and sold in the US.
Ernesto Villegas, Costa Rican Popular Minister for Culture, indicated that a Venezuelan customs official issued a warning when the pieces were about to leave the country.
Then, in April 2016, the Office of Heritage Protection of the National Museum sent a letter to the Criminal Court of San José requesting the approval for the transfer of the pieces. According to the Law on Archaeological National Heritage 6703, in force since 1981, the National Museum is responsible for taking measures to recover lost works of art.
The Department of Protection of Cultural Heritage of the National Museum has warned for many years about the black market for these pieces in North America, Europe and Asia.