Explore the Sorte mountain about the Construction and location of this artwork, María Lionza (statue).
On 2 October 2022, the Institute of Cultural Heritage (IPC) removed the original statue from storage, apparently doing so without the knowledge or permission of the university; on 3 October, UCV and the Scientific, Criminal and Criminalistic Investigation Service Corps (CICPC) forensic police announced on social media that the statue had gone missing. The IPC, a government agency, quickly admitted to taking the statue, explaining they did so to "protect, preserve and relocate the statue... in accordance with its historical, [national cultural] and spiritual significance"; Ernesto Villegas, Minister of Culture, accused the university of having "virtually kidnapped" the sculpture years before. The Venezuelan Federation of Spiritualism said that the statue would be placed at the foot of Sorte mountain, a spiritual home of the religion, where another replica is already located; the IPC only wanted it to be on public display, though requested it be moved to the forest area where the María Lionza legend originated. Runrunes reported that the statue arrived in Yaracuy on 4 October, received with a celebration dedicated to the goddess, with El País saying that the statue had been moved to Quibayo, on Sorte mountain, in time for the 12 October worship day.
María Lionza El País Yaracuy Sorte mountain Yara Scientific, Criminal and Criminalistic Investigation Service Corps Ernesto Villegas Runrunes