On 14 September 2020, Belgium returned to Guatemala a Mayan jade mask with cardinal directions that represents Chac the god of rain and thunder, which is considered one of the most important gods in the Mayan pantheon.
Over a thousand years old, this archaeological treasure dates between AD 600 and 900. It had been "illegally exported by international traffickers" after excavations were carried out on a Mayan site in Petén, according to the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry.
This invaluable mask was presented to the Ambassador of Guatemala to Belgium on the eve of the Guatemalan celebration of independence. This highly symbolic gesture demonstrates the desire for international cooperation between the States Parties to the 1970 Convention.
For more information, click here (in Spanish)