Morocco recovers from Chile 400 Mln-year-old fossils

Morocco has recovered earlier this week from Chile Some 117 pieces of rare fossils originating from the Kingdom that are 400 Mln-year-old.

The paleontological pieces were confiscated by Chilean customs between 2017 and 2022. They were handed to Morocco’s Ambassador in Santiago, Kenza El Ghali, by Director of National Heritage Services, Nelida Pozo Kudo, and Director of Inspection of the Chilean Customs Service, José Luis Castro Montecinos. Representatives of various departments, including Foreign Affairs, Culture, Customs Services, and Security attended the fossils handing-over ceremony, held at the National Library of Chile.

Director of National Heritage Services, Nelida Pozo Kudo, stressed at this ceremony that cooperation between Morocco and Chile covers many fields, including protection of high scientific value fossils. The seizure by Chilean Customs of these fossils and their restitution to the Kingdom is a clear example of both countries’ commitment towards the fight against illicit access to cultural property, in accordance with international law.

Technical Secretary of Chile’s National Monuments Council, Irwin Brevis, expressed his satisfaction at having contributed to “the recovery of this 400-million-year-old heritage, (…) and without exaggeration, its long history antedates the continental formation and thus long before the creation of Chile and Morocco, in other words, before the planet was as we know it today”.

Brevis also expressed his conviction that “the coordination and joint efforts between the various institutions and international cooperation are proving fruitful, enabling us today to return these fossils to the Kingdom of Morocco”.