Culture tries to stop auction of 30 pre-Hispanic pieces in France

The government of Mexico seeks to stop the auction of 30 pre-Hispanic pieces to be held on Friday, January 28 in France, the Ministry of Culture said on Wednesday. 
Alejandra Frausto, Secretary of Culture, sent a letter to the Millon auction house in which she asks to stop the auction “taking into consideration the historical, symbolic and cultural values of these goods, superior to any commercial interest.”

#MiPatrimonioNoSeVende
The Ministry of Culture strongly regrets and condemns the sale of archaeological goods.
The @GobiernoMX appeals to ethics and respect for cultural heritage and calls on the Société Millon to stop the auction scheduled for January 28 in Paris. pic.twitter.com/uYjJ0V1ecY
— Ministry of Culture (@cultura_mx) January 27, 2022

“From the government of Mexico we regret and strongly condemn this sale,” the letter says, although it did not specify which pieces will be put on sale. 
The agency also said legal proceedings were initiated before French authorities and through diplomatic channels to stop the auction.  
For a few years now, the Mexican government has been trying to recover its historical heritage that is in the hands of private collections around the world, but not always successfully. 

See also: More than 40 pre-Hispanic pieces auctioned in France, despite protests from Mexico
In November 2021, the firm Artcurial auctioned off objects of pre-Hispanic art despite the protests of the country and in February of that year Christie’s held in Paris an auction of 40 pre-Hispanic pieces, with which it raised about 3 million dollars. 
Frausto told the AFP that during the current government of Mexico, which began in 2018, 5,800 pieces have been repatriated. 
The official added that the pieces of pre-Hispanic art “are not a luxury item” or to “decorate a house” but part of what makes Mexico “a cultural nation.”
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Original source in Spanish