The Mexican government this week called for the suspension of the sale of four pre-Colombian figures from Mexico scheduled for auction on April 16 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Mexico is now pushing for the artifacts’ repatriation to Mexico, part of a campaign to protect and recover archaeological pieces previously removed from the country.
In a statement addressed to the auction house Academia Fine Art, Culture Minister Claudia Curiel de Icaza said that after a thorough review of the auction catalog, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) identified that four of the the announced objects “are archaeological and historical assets that are part of the cultural heritage of the Mexican nation,” and are therefore protected under Mexican law.
Se han identificado cuatro piezas de origen mesoamericano en una subasta organizada por la casa Accademia Fine Art y que se llevará a cabo el 16 de abril de 2026 en Monte-Carlo, Mónaco.
El dictamen del @INAHmx establece que se trata de bienes que forman parte del patrimonio… pic.twitter.com/YXTB6rbDi3
— Claudia Curiel de Icaza (@ccurieldeicaza) April 8, 2026
“The Ministry of Culture appeals to ethics and respect for cultural heritage and calls for a halt to the offering and sale of these pieces, taking into consideration that they represent an invaluable legacy of ancestral cultures and national history,” Curiel said in the statement.
The auction house has not responded to Curiel’s call yet.
In the statement, Curiel added that Mexican authorities have started legal proceedings through official diplomatic channels in an effort to repatriate the pieces to Mexico, and called on the auction house to “join in the efforts of safeguarding cultural heritage.”
Mexico’s efforts to repatriate archeological pieces are part of a wider campaign known as Mi Patrimonio No Se Vende (My Heritage Is Not For Sale), a strategy that gained momentum during the administration of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. According to the Culture Ministry’s latest report, Mexico has recovered 3,716 pre-Hispanic pieces since 2024.
However, Mexico’s efforts don’t always bear fruit. In February, Casa Millon, an auction house in France, held a sale of 40 archaeological pieces of Mexican origin despite the fact that days earlier the Culture Ministry had initiated a process for repatriation.
The collection featured sculptures, ceramics, jewelry, goldwork and textiles of Mexican and Peruvian origin, among other cultures.
Meanwhile, Spanish newspaper El País reported the appearance of nearly 40 more pre-Columbian artifacts of Mexican origin in an auction catalog in Germany.
The Zemanek-Münster auction house in Germany will hold an auction of Mexican archeological artifacts, including pieces of Maya origin, with a starting price of 826,300 euros (US $965,123). Mexican authorities had yet to comment on that auction as of mid-day Friday.
With reports from El País
