Mexican ambassador appears to steal book in Argentina

By Sierra Juarez

SAN CRISTOBAL, Mexico (AA) – The Mexican government recalled its foreign ambassador to Argentina back home after a video circulated showing what appears to be the diplomat stealing from a bookstore.

The security footage shows ambassador Oscar Ricardo Valeo Recio Becerra grabbing a book from a shelf in a Buenos Aires bookstore. He appears to hide the book between a pile of papers and attempts to walk out of the store. A security guard stopped him and looked through his belongings.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called the incident “regrettable” but has asked for people to wait until an ethics committee has finished investigating before coming to conclusions.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is addressing this case to see what happens and [to ensure] that there are no public lynchings,” the Mexican president said in a press conference on Monday.

Lopez Obrador added that the ambassador will be fired if the committee finds evidence that the ambassador stole the book.

The Mexican president won his position on the promise to rid corruption from the government. The recent incident is a blow to the president’s goal of making the Mexican people more trusting of their public leaders.