UNSR James Anaya

SAN SALVADOR (17 August 2012) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, James Anaya, today urged the Government of El Salvador to adopt new measures to recover ancestral indigenous cultures and establish participatory mechanisms from their representative institutions within State decision making.

"The historical oppression of indigenous peoples and the suppression of their expression of identity have led to the large-scale loss of important aspects of this identity as well as many cultural and human aspects that it incorporates," said Mr. Anaya at the end of his mission to the country to evaluate the achievements and challenges of indigenous peoples, and in particular the Náhuas, Lencas, Pipiles and Kakawiras.

See the press release here. See the full end-of-mission statement by the Special Rapporteur here (Spanish)