Remains stolen of famed Costa Rican Florencio del Castillo

Distinguished Costa Rican historical figure Florencio del Castillo’s remains were stolen this morning.

Castillo had been buried in a mausoleum in Paraíso, a small town in the Cartago province, east of San José. According to the Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) a group of thieves broke a wooden fence and then the mausoleum’s window to snatch the metallic box with Castillo’s remains. According to the daily La Nación, Paraíso mayor Jorge Rodríguez confirmed the theft.

Florencio del Castillo was born in 1778 in the historic Cartago town of Ujarrás. In 1811, Castillo was sent as a deputy to the Cádiz Cortes, the national legislative body during the French occupation of Spain. In 1812, Florencio del Castillo became president of the body. He was known for his battle in favor of indigenous people and abolished a number of taxes for those groups.

He died in Oaxaca, México in 1834.