25 archeological  treasures stolen –10 recovered

NATÁ, Coclé. -A ceremonial clay vase, more than 1,200 years old, is one of the approximately 25 archaeological pieces that were stolen at dawn on Sunday, August 15, in the old San Juan de Dios Chapel in Natá.

The Natá Foundation of Los Caballeros Siglo XXI (Funac), the group that guards the pieces, made a formal complaint to the Public Ministry on Monday, August 16 and an investigation was opened but on Monday morning 10 of the 25 pieces were recovered inside two bags, left outside the home of one of the members of Funac.

One of the goals that Funac is to convert the San Juan de Dios chapel into a historical, cultural and religious art museum, which they plan to open on November 15.

Natá residents have proceeded to donate archaeological pieces that they kept in their homes, which had remained in their families from generation to generation.

A week ago, the Ministry of Culture made an inventory of the 176 pieces that were kept in the chapel, which were assigned a code and were registered.

“To those who did this, let them deliver the rest of the pieces let them not buy them. It is a crime to sell and buy these pieces, let’s avoid unfortunate situations said Ernestina Tejada, president of Funac.