| US And Belize Combine For Culture |
| Fri, February 23, 2018 |
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We know that tourists throng to Belize for our rich archeological history - but some of them - very few - take back more than just snapshots. True enough, there's a black market for mayan antiquities looted from sites. Some unscrupulous visitors or smugglers buy them as a keepsake - because, they think that taking home a shard of jade, is better than a selfie in front of Xunantunich.
But, it's a crime - and now the US government is making it an international offence to traffic in Belizean antiquities. Today, the US Government and NICH signed a Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Archaeological Material of Belize.
And as a goodwill gesture, the US also handed over a few Belizean objects that were confiscated from a tourist by Special agents from the U.S. National Park Service.
According to a release, the goals of this cultural property Agreement are to: reduce the incentive to pillage; help Belize protect its cultural heritage; and increase lawful access to cultural objects and awareness of world heritage by encouraging interchange of materials for scientific, cultural and educational purposes.
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