Agents of the Federal Police carried out a surprise operation at the Victoria UFO Museum, culminating with the confiscation of more than 60 archaeological piecessome of them allegedly of Peruvian origin and under suspicion of irregular acquisition.
This raid occurs after a alert issued by the Peruvian Embassy in Argentinatriggering an investigation coordinated by the Ministery of security.
The beginning of these investigations dates back to a complaint from the Embassy of Peru in Argentina, pointing out the presence in an Entre Ríos museum of a piece of great scientific value: a mummy foot allegedly coming from the Peruvian town of Paracas, possibly extracted and exported illegally.
He federal judge of Victoria, Federico Martín, ordered proceedings to locate this piece, with federal agents identifying its presence in the UFO Museum.
According to the portal Rosario3After confirming the presence of the piece, they consulted with the National Institute of Anthropology and Latin American Thought (INAPL) and the Museum of Natural and Anthropological Sciences of Paraná, who had no records of the inscription or the museum that exhibited the piece. Both organizations confirmed that the pieces exhibited corresponded to the cultural heritage of the Argentine and Peruvian States.
Consequently, a search of the museum was ordered, where not only the reported mummy’s foot was found, but also another 60 piecesincluding works of modeled pottery, carved stones, ceramic fragments and polished lithic artifacts, among others.
The head of the museum, Andrea Perez Simondini, He explained that the mummy’s foot had been recovered more than 35 years ago in Peru by his family during a move. He indicated that he had maintained a dialogue with the Embassy’s Culture Department and that, after several attempts to donate the piece to different institutions, including the embassy and natural science museums, they decided to exhibit it in their local museum.
Andrea stated that it was she who recovered the piece while she was on vacation in Lima, contradicting her father’s version and was notified in the case, while the seized pieces were transferred to the headquarters of the Interventor police unit for expert opinion by the INAPL. . The material of national origin will be delivered to the Paraná Museum as a judicial deposit.
The intervention of Cultural Heritage Protection Department of the Federal Police It was crucial in this operation that after receiving the alert from the Peruvian Embassy and coordinating with the Ministry of Security, the agents carried out a thorough investigation that led to the discovery of the archaeological pieces in the UFO Museum.
Federal Judge Federico Martín, in charge of the case, highlighted the importance of preserving both Argentine and Peruvian cultural heritage. Likewise, he has urged that all necessary procedures be carried out to determine the legality of the acquisition and possession of these pieces.
For its part, the Peruvian Embassy in Argentina expressed its gratitude to the Argentine authorities for their collaboration in this case and has reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of Peruvian cultural heritage. It is hoped that this case will serve as an important precedent in the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property in the region.
In mid-August last year, from Peru pointed out that they were facing a significant challenge in the recovery of a vast amount of colonial, archaeological and anthropological objects looted throughout its history.which hinders its potential as an internationally renowned cultural center.
A recent report highlighted the lack of serious efforts by the Peruvian State to reclaim these valuable objects, which are vital testimonies of its past. Furthermore, the lack of will on the part of the current owners to return this cultural heritage is noted.
Estimates suggest that around 100 thousand Peruvian pieces They are in foreign museums, while half a million more are in private collections, available for sale on the black market.
The Law for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of the Nation of Peru defines this heritage as “any manifestation of human activity,” but without a document that confirms its status as such, the State cannot intervene to protect it.
Peruvian archaeological sites house a rich collection of historical pieces that provide an invaluable window into the country’s past, information that cannot be obtained any other way.
However, to many foreign countries, these pieces are simply objects of high monetary value, stripped of their cultural meaning. Therefore, they are auctioned to the highest bidder without considering their cultural importance for Peru, which represents a significant loss to the country’s national identity and cultural heritage.
