The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs formalized the transfer of 347 national heritage items to the
Ministry of Culture, which were repatriated through the efforts of the
Peruvian Embassy in the United States, as well as the Consulates General in Chicago, Denver, and New York.
During his remarks, Minister De Zela highlighted the close cooperation that the network of embassies and consulates maintains with local authorities, as well as the coordinated institutional work with the Ministries of Culture and Interior, the Public Ministry (Prosecutor's Office), and Interpol to recover these items.
The government official noted that this restitution reaffirms "our commitment to the protection of the country's heritage and its historical memory."
The career diplomat highlighted the importance of the agreement with the U.S. regarding the imposition of import restrictions on categories of Peruvian archaeological and ethnological materials, which enabled the restitution of more than 400 items in 2025.
He emphasized that the ceremony was an additional demonstration of the friendship between Peru and the U.S., which will mark 200 years of diplomatic relations on May 2, 2026.
In turn, the Culture Minister stated that the 347 items returning to the country "have a value that goes beyond the number."
Luna indicated that each item recovered through this joint effort with the Foreign Affairs Ministry represents "a defeat for illicit trafficking."
"That this return was voluntary reflects the growth of an international ethical awareness regarding cultural heritage," he pointed out.
For this ceremony, four joint verifications were carried out by specialists from the Cultural Heritage Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Recoveries Directorate at the Ministry of Culture.
The restituted items are archaeological in nature. For the most part, they were voluntarily returned to Peru's diplomatic missions.
Among the items are three ceremonial ceramics in the Cupisnique, Moche, and Nazca styles; a Moche copper mask with shell inlays in the eyes; two Inca conopas depicting camelids in mating posture; and a variety of Chancay textile fragments.
Also noteworthy is a pendant made from spondylus shell, a highly prized element in the Andean world obtained from the Peruvian sea's depths.
(END) NDP/RMCH/JCR/MVB
Published: 12/17/2025