No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeLatin AmericaCentral AmericaU.S. Citizen Arrested in Guatemala for Smuggling Ancient Mayan Artifacts

U.S. Citizen Arrested in Guatemala for Smuggling Ancient Mayan Artifacts

The American Stephanie Allison Jolluck was arrested this Friday at the airport in the Guatemalan capital when she was trying to return to her country with two Mayan pieces of pre-Hispanic origin, said the prosecutor’s office.

The spokesman of the entity, Moisés Ortiz, said to journalists that the North American “now will have to face penal process for the crime of traffic of national treasures”, without specifying of which pre-Hispanic period the seized pieces are from.

Jolluck had the cultural objects hidden in her suitcases when she was trying to leave the country for the United States on a flight at La Aurora International Airport, in the southern outskirts of Guatemala City.

According to photographs of the body in charge of the criminal prosecution, the pieces are two carved stones with several figures.

The official indicated that the Pluripersonal Court of First Criminal Instance opened a criminal proceeding against Jolluck, but granted him alternative measures so that he would not go to prison, the prohibition to leave the country and to approach places where archaeological objects are sold.

In addition, he will have to present himself every 15 days to the Prosecutor’s Office to sign a book to establish that he is still in the Central American country.

Meanwhile, the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP, Fiscalía) has a 3-month investigation period to present the evidence against the American.

The Mayan culture had its greatest splendor in the so-called classic period (250-900 A.D.), until it went into decline in the post-classic period (900-1200 A.D.) and covered the Mesoamerican area comprising southern Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Belize.

Popular Articles

Costa Rica’s Southern Infrastructure Push Raises Biodiversity Concerns

Costa Rica’s southern region, home to the Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park, boasts some of the planet’s richest biodiversity. Jaguars, tapirs, and scarlet...

Costa Rica, France Launch Blue Carbon Initiative Ahead of UN Oceans Summit

Costa Rica and France have announced a significant partnership to advance blue carbon conservation, timed strategically ahead of their co-hosting of the United Nations...

Parasite Outbreak in Costa Rica’s Howler Monkeys Tied to Tourism and Land Use Changes

Howler monkeys in Costa Rica are facing a growing threat from bot fly larvae infestations, and new research points to tourism and land use...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest Articles