From News24, word the Unesco is requesting a temporary ban on the sale of Haitian art, part of an effort to prevent looting.
“Unesco director general Irina Bokova has asked international forces in Haiti to ensure the security of museums and other buildings containing artefacts, a statement said.
‘It is important to prevent treasure hunters from rifling through the rubble of the numerous cultural landmarks that collapsed in the earthquake,’ said the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
Bokova was also taking steps to encourage the art market and museum professionals to verify the origin of cultural property up for sale, especially on the internet.”
Almost as fast as first responders come the opportunists.
Carpetbaggers will be there like vultures on a battlefield, I fear…
Thanks very much for your comment today which allowed me to come over here and see the story about UNESCO. I hope there will be some measure of security provided to protecting the art and cultural treasures. It must be total chaos though at present, hard to think about art when hundreds of thousands of people are in the streets looking for food and water… be well…
I agree that art vultures are hardly the first priority down there, but I can’t get over the fact that people would try to capitalize on this moment of extreme suffering