The Belgian auction for three archaeological works defined as Mexican heritage was suspended at the request of the Mexican Embassy in Brussels, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Secretariat of Culture.
The pieces to be sold were zoom-type figures made of clay simulated in the state of Kolyma (west).
In a joint statement issued by the two agencies, “the auction house Carlo Bonte decided to withdraw from the auction three pieces that he was going to sell and that were identified as Mexican property.”
The Belgian authorities also warned that the details cannot be sold until the owner presents the relevant export certificate.
According to Mexican law, all archaeological work is considered a national heritage and its commercialization is prohibited.
The Mexican government is actively campaigning in Europe and the United States to identify archaeological works sold by various galleries.
In recent months, Mexico has suspended auctions in Italy, and in February they returned to the Mexican embassy 17 archaeological works owned by two Dutch men for 30 years.
Last week, the auction of rock figures that appeared in the catalog of the Austrian company was suspended.
However, the efforts of Mexico were not enough to suspend the January 28 auction of about 30 points at the Milon Gallery in France.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador calls the auction of archaeological works “immoral” and urges them to be banned worldwide.
He also criticized Austria, which for centuries had Aztec feathers (the crown of feathers), believed to belong to the Aztec emperor Moctezumi (1502-1520) and that other Mexican governments tried to restore it to the exhibition or at least bring it to the country.
The Mexican government said that about 6,000 archaeological works that were illegally seized had been restored.
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