Mexico Ambassador to Argentina Recalled Over Alleged Shoplifting

(Bloomberg) -- Mexico’s Ambassador to Argentina has been called home after a report that he tried to shoplift a $10 biography on Casanova from one of the world’s most famous bookstores.

Oscar Ricardo Valero Recio Becerra was recalled on Sunday by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard after newspaper reports that he tried to steal the 590-peso book on the famous 18th century playboy from El Ateneo in Buenos Aires at the end of October.

Ebrard said in a Twitter post that he asked the ministry’s ethics committee to analyze the accusation against the 76-year-old diplomat and if a video of the alleged theft that’s circulating proves to be true, he’ll be removed from his job immediately.

“Zero tolerance for dishonesty,” Ebrard said.

Mexico’s ambassador to the South American nation was named by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and had previously been a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He spent much of his academic career studying political science and Mexico’s role in international relations, and was also ambassador to Chile from 2001 to 2004.

To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Martin in Mexico City at emartin21@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Juan Pablo Spinetto at jspinetto@bloomberg.net, Linus Chua, Melissa Cheok

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