NewsWhore
08-19-2011, 02:30 PM
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agencies returned yesterday to the Dominican government original pre-Columbian Taino Indian pieces that had been confiscated. The items were illegally smuggled into the United States, as reported in El Dia.
The artifacts were delivered during a repatriation ceremony held at the Museum of Dominican Man in the presence of Culture Minister Rafael Lantigua, Museum director Christian Martinez. US Ambassador Raul Yzaguirre and ICE director for International affairs Luis Alvarez represented the US at the event.
"We are very committed to being able to combat the looting of cultural heritage and combating illicit trafficking in cultural property that in one way or another robs people of their history. The artifacts we see today here are a testament to the rich cultural history of this land," said Yzaguirre, speaking at the ceremony. Alvarez said the US government would not tolerate the illegal sale of heritage articles.
The 59-piece collection was from artifacts confiscated in Jacksonville and Orlando, Florida, in San Juan, Puerto Rico and in Memphis, Tennessee.
The US ambassador said that experts have determined that some of the pieces could be two thousand years old, as reported in Listin Diario. The artifacts were stolen from the DR and sent to the United States.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)
The artifacts were delivered during a repatriation ceremony held at the Museum of Dominican Man in the presence of Culture Minister Rafael Lantigua, Museum director Christian Martinez. US Ambassador Raul Yzaguirre and ICE director for International affairs Luis Alvarez represented the US at the event.
"We are very committed to being able to combat the looting of cultural heritage and combating illicit trafficking in cultural property that in one way or another robs people of their history. The artifacts we see today here are a testament to the rich cultural history of this land," said Yzaguirre, speaking at the ceremony. Alvarez said the US government would not tolerate the illegal sale of heritage articles.
The 59-piece collection was from artifacts confiscated in Jacksonville and Orlando, Florida, in San Juan, Puerto Rico and in Memphis, Tennessee.
The US ambassador said that experts have determined that some of the pieces could be two thousand years old, as reported in Listin Diario. The artifacts were stolen from the DR and sent to the United States.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)