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Ambassador Garza Celebrates
Recovery of Stolen Art
"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."
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
a ceremony on September 28, 2004. | | 
Mexican Attorney General Rafael Macedo de
la Concha welcomes Amb. Garza to the facilities of the Federal Agency
for Investigations (AFI).
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Attorney Macedo thanks Amb. Garza for the return of the stolen altar piece.
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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.
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."
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| 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 Popocatépetl Volcano.
Ambassador 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. |
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