It features humanoid figures, necklaces, amulets, and artifacts from at least 14 regions of the country.
The National Museum of Bogota is exhibiting 1,194 pre-Columbian archaeological pieces free of charge. These artifacts were recovered through repatriation processes carried out in 13 countries over the past four years.
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Spanish Museum to Inaugurate Colombian Archaeological Exhibition
The exhibition, titled “Pasts Returning: Repatriation of Archaeological Heritage,” organized in conjunction with the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH) and the Ministry of Culture, will be open until August 23.
It features humanoid figures, necklaces, amulets, and artifacts from at least 14 regions of the country. Archaeology curator Natalia Angarita explained that the goal is to showcase the diversity of peoples who inhabited Colombia and the art produced between 2000 BCE and 1600 CE.
Angarita described the repatriation process as “successful,” noting that 80% of the pieces were returned voluntarily. However, she acknowledged legal difficulties, as approximately 100 works were held by auction houses or involved in illicit trafficking networks.
1️⃣ Abrió la exposición Pasados en retorno.
2️⃣ El Cristo Mutilado y el Inmaculado Corazón de María de Bojayá avanzan hacia su declaratoria como Bienes de Interés Cultural.
3️⃣ Reglamentamos el art. 41 de la Reforma Laboral para el sector cultural. pic.twitter.com/3HqzLGDL2w
— MinCultura Colombia (@mincultura) June 29, 2026
The text reads, “The exhibition Pasts in Return has opened. The Mutilated Christ and the Immaculate Heart of Mary from Bojaya are advancing toward their declaration as Cultural Assets of Interest. We have regulated Article 41 of the Labor Reform for the cultural sector.”
The Colombian government used the presidential plane and the training ship ARC Gloria to transport the pieces, resulting in significant transportation cost savings and ensuring the security of the cultural artifacts.
The museum is still awaiting the return of two emblematic collections: the statues from San Agustin, currently in the Ethnological Museum of Berlin, and the Quimbaya Treasure, comprised of 122 pieces handed over to the Spanish government in 1893 and housed in the Museum of the Americas in Madrid.
Between 2022 and 2026, Colombia received more than 1,200 repatriated pieces, with the United States (384), Italy (208), Chile (174), Germany (149), and Canada (127) being the countries with the highest number of repatriated items.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | Colombia: Former presidential candidate for the Alliance for Life, Ivan Cepeda, assured that his campaign will respect the procedures established by electoral law. pic.twitter.com/WrA2sXgkKr
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) June 26, 2026
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE
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