Assessment for Indigenous Peoples in El Salvador

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Risk Assessment | Analytic Summary | References

Risk Assessment

Indigenous in El Salvador lack risk factors for rebellion and are unlikely to engage in violence in the future. Protest behavior is likely to exist only at low levels, as indigenous do not face political or cultural restriction, do not suffer from repression and lack tangible support from kindred groups elsewhere. Most of El Salvador’s indigenous people are assimilated into the society, though there remain small pockets of indigenous communities that have retained their traditional customs and language. Though the Salvadoran government does not officially recognize the indigenous people, political discrimination against them is due to neglect, not any prevailing practice. Economic discrimination against the indigenous is a widespread yet informal social practice. The indigenous people of El Salvador are impoverished and lack adequate education and health facilities. While not targeting the indigenous specifically, conditions within the country have been improving slightly since 1992, when the government started implementing policies to ensure better treatment of individuals, and began to recognize past human rights abuses by the military and police.

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Analytic Summary

The indigenous constitute approximately 4 percent of El Salvador's population. Nahua-Pipiles, Lencas and Cacaoperas are the three principal groups of indigenous. Nahua-Pipiles, the largest group, live primarily in the western and central regions of El Salvador; Lencas and Cacaoperas both live primarily in the eastern region (GROUPCON = 0).

Few indigenous in El Salvador retain their traditional indigenous culture and customs. Virtually all of El Salvador's indigenous speak Spanish as their native tongue (LANG = 0), although a few do continue to speak a limited form of Nahuatl in the western communities. Indigenous are largely assimilated into mestizo customs (CUSTOM = 0). In previous years, most Salvadorans, indigenous and non-indigenous, were Roman Catholic. However, in recent years, Protestantism has been growing rapidly among indigenous communities, leaving unclear if most practice Roman Catholicism or if there has been a shift to Protestantism as the dominant religion among indigenous. Few indigenous practice traditional religions.

The largest segmeng of Salvadoran indigenous people are the descendants of the Pupils, a nomadic tribe of the Nahua of central Mexico. From the beginning of Spanish conquest in El Salvador, the indigenous and the Spaniards lived in the same areas. Racial mixing, known as "mestizaje," began in the 16th century. With the development of indigo plantations in the early 17th century, many indigenous villages were destroyed, and many were forced to farm and work on these plantations.

In 1932, some indigenous people who were protesting government policies killed 35 ladinos. In retaliation, the government killed between 35,000 and 50,000 indigenous, in a massacre called "La Matanza." Afterwards, the indigenous began to hide their traditions and to assimilate into the dominant ladino society. This process accelerated during the 1980-1992 civil war, when death squads killed thousands. Many indigenous people were discouraged from their traditional customs and culture for fear of being associated with targeted grassroots organizations. The present Salvadoran Constitution makes no specific provisions for the rights of indigenous people, or for their ability to participate in decisions affecting their lands, culture, traditions or the allocation of natural resources (POLDIS01-06 = 2). There is no evidence of self-identifying indigenous persons serving in the legislative or executive branches of the central government (LEGISREP04-06 = 0' EXECREP04-06 = 0). Indigenous also suffer from social exclusion in the economic realm, in particular in terms of land ownership and access to credit (ECDIS01-06 = 3).

The primary organization representing indigenous interests is the Asociacion Nacional de Indigenas de El Salvador (ANIS). Founded in 1959, many of its activities revolve around reviving the customs and language of indigenous peoples. ANIS is also active in international forums concerning the rights of indigenous peoples. A second organization, the National Coordinating Council of Salvadoran Indigenous Coordination Council (CCNIS), was founded in 1994. Representing 12 indigenous organizations, it seeks the reentry of indigenous peoples into national politics (GOJPA06 = 2). The primary grievance of indigenous is the lack of official government recognition of the existence of their communities and their distinct histories, culture and needs (POLGR04-06 = 1; ECDIS04-06 = 1; CULGR04-06 = 1).

Collective action by indigenous peoples in El Salvador has been largely symbolic or verbal in recent years with no evidence of violent collective action (PROT01-03 = 2; PROT04-05 = 0; PROT06 = 1; REB01-06 = 0). There is no evidence of government repression in recent years (REPGENCIV04-06 = 0; REPNVIOL04-06 = 0; REPVIOL04-06 = 0) or of conflict with other communal groups (INTERCON04-06 = 0).

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References

Amnesty International. Various reports. 1990-1992.

Chapin, Mac. 1989. "The 500,000 Indians of El Salvador". Cultural Survival Quarterly.

Ching, Erik and Virginia Tilley. 1998. "Indians, the Military and the Rebellion of 1932 in El Salvador." Journal of Latin American Studies. 30:121-156.

Cody, Edward. 1/17/1992. "Salvadorians sign Accord Ending Twelve Year War." The Washington Post.

CONCULTURA. Organizacion Panamericana de la Salud. Representacion en El Salvador. 1999. Pueblos Indigenas, Salud y Calidad de Vida en El Salvador. http://www.ops.org.sv/Archivos/Pueblos_indigenas.pdf, accessed 12/08/2003.

Foro Nacional Sobre Los Derechos Indigenas En El Salvador. Various reports. http://www.oit.or.cr/unfip/principales/link4.htm, accessed 12/8/2003.

Fondo Ambiental de El Salvador. Various reports. http://www.fonaes.gob.sv/nentrega02.htm, accessed 12/08/2003.

Hablemos On Line. Various reports. http://www.elsalvador.com/hablemos, accessed 12/08/2003.

Patrick, Lyana. 2004. "Indigenous Rights in El Salvador: Prospects for Change." Human Rights Review.

Scott, David Clark. "Salvadorians Cease-Fire Takes Hold." The Christian Science Moniter. 2/3/92.

Tilley, Virginia Q. 2002. "New Help or New Hegemony? The Transnational Indigenous Peoples'Movement and Being Indian in El Salvador." Journal of Latin American Studies. 34:3.

U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: El Salvador. 1993-2006.

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