The Mexican government has recovered 3,716 archaeological and historical pieces from multiple countries under President Claudia Sheinbaum’s repatriation strategy for the memory and identity of the peoples, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) reported, with the effort carrying the motto “My heritage is not for sale.”
Among the returned objects are a Mixtec skull covered with turquoise tesserae from the Netherlands, a Maya carved panel from the Yaxchilán area—returned by New York and depicting the ruler Bird Jaguar—and a Mexica basalt sculpture that still retains its original pigments.
Authorities also secured an 18th-century Franciscan ceremonial manual, which had been seized by the Argentine Federal Police, reinforcing the official commitment to “recover the memory, identity, and belonging of the ancient peoples,” said INAH.
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The United States led the list of returning nations, accounting for 3,369 pieces, followed by Italy with 1,794 items, Canada with 133, France with 19, and Spain with seven repatriated goods, according to the statistical breakdown provided by the institute.
#ÚLTIMAHORA
Las Secretarías de @cultura_mx y de @SRE_mx formalizan la repatriación de 160 bienes patrimoniales
• Se trata de 157 piezas arqueológicas y tres históricas; fueron recuperadas en Estados Unidos, Canadá, Francia y Argentina
Entérate en: https://t.co/moyDjTPnfS pic.twitter.com/10OWFkliih
— INAH (@INAHmx) April 6, 2026
INAH Director General Joel Omar Vázquez Herrera emphasized that during Sheinbaum’s tenure, 10 times more cultural objects have been repatriated than in the 2012–2018 period under Enrique Peña Nieto, and that the current figure represents 68% of the items recovered during Felipe Calderón’s administration (2006–2012
The institutional program is grounded in a permanent diplomatic dialogue scheme with various governments worldwide, which has enabled the recovery of the most significant archaeological pieces for Mexico, the anthropological center noted.
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