The FBI delivered to Peru several objects of great historical value

(Trends Wide Spanish) — The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI, for its acronym in English), delivered to Peru 16 objects with great historical and cultural value for the South American country.

The ceremony was attended by officials from the United States Department of State, the United States Attorney’s Office, the Consul General of Peru in Los Angeles, and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).

The repatriation ceremony of these assets was held in Los Angeles, where Kristi Koons Johnson, deputy director in charge of the FBI in that city, stressed that this was achieved thanks to the joint effort between the governments of the United States and Peru and added that the objects belong to the Peruvian historical heritage with an invaluable meaning.

The Consul General of Peru in Los Angeles, José Luís Chávez Gonzalez, was in charge of receiving the 16 pieces made up of four stone axes from the pre-Columbian era, two paintings from the colonial period and 10 historical documents from the early 20th century.

Chávez Gonzáles said that these objects were recovered thanks to the support of the US authorities, in coordination with the Institute of Culture and the Peruvian Foreign Ministry.

Among the recovered goods, there are paintings that are more than 400 years old, such as the Virgin of Guadalupe from the 17th century and the oil painting from the 18th century “Pentecost”, which represents the religious festival according to which Christians commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit. Holy 50 days after Easter.

The painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe is owned by the Archbishopric of Cuzco and was stolen in 2002 from the Santiago Apóstol Temple, located in the district of Ollantaytambo, while the “Pentecost” painting belongs to the Santa Cruz de Orurillo Parish Church, located in the city ​​of Puno, from where it was stolen in 2019.

The Peruvian consul said that the recovered pieces were part of the illegal trafficking of cultural property that Peru considers a crime because it threatens the cultural wealth of its country.

Johnson, for his part, said that these objects made a murky journey to the US and now have a clear path back to Peru through the proper diplomatic channels.

The pieces came to the United States through art dealers, who sold them to collectors who were unaware that they were part of a database of stolen art and were voluntarily turned over to the FBI, Johnson said.

Consul Luis Chávez Gonzales reported that the pieces will be transported to his country for the formal delivery from the Foreign Ministry to the Ministry of Culture, from there to reach their places of origin.

The FBI authorities advise buyers of art and objects that before acquiring works of art, check the files of that agency to find out if the items are registered as stolen.