Mexico orders the return of the ambassador to Argentina, accused of stealing a book

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(CNN Spanish) - The Mexican Foreign Ministry announced Monday that its Ethics and Conflict Prevention Committee of Interest investigates the case of the ambassador of that country in Argentina, Oscar Ricardo Valero Recio Becerra, who on October 26 would have tried to steal a Book from a bookstore in Buenos Aires.

The case will be reviewed “so that it can be analyzed and the conductive measures are determined,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The ambassador has been requested to return to the national territory while the case study is being carried out," said the Foreign Ministry.

The Foreign Secretary, Marcelo Ebrard, had already referred to the case on Sunday in a tweet in which he said that if it was verified that the video broadcast on social networks is true, the diplomat "will be separated from office immediately."

"Zero tolerance for dishonesty," Ebrard wrote.

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President Andrés Manuel López Obrador described the case as "unfortunate", but also said that "we all make mistakes" and asked that there be no "political lynchings." The president said Monday that Valero, who took office at the beginning of the year, has a "clean foreign policy" trajectory.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is attending to see what is appropriate, that there are no public, political lynchings," López Obrador added.

CNN tried unsuccessfully to communicate with the ambassador. When consulting the Mexican legation in Argentina, they indicated that their position is the "same that reflects the statement of our Foreign Ministry."

According to the report of the Police of the City of Buenos Aires, on October 26 a call was received from the El Ateneo bookstore, located in the center of the city, where it was indicated that a man “accused of illicit".

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The police report stated verbatim: "Personnel were sent, the novelty being affirmative, the prevented male is Mr. Ambassador of Mexico Valerio Recio Becerra Oscar, who tried to subtract a bibliography of the author Giacomo Casanova."

"After having collected the personal information, invite it to be removed from the place," added the police.

The case is in the criminal secretariat of the Supreme Court of Argentina since late October, three judicial sources informed CNN. Complaints involving diplomats are resolved by the highest court. The case is awaiting treatment.

With information from Emilia Delfino and Esteban Campanela

Ambassador Book