CHILE'S BACHELET ASKS FORGIVENESS FROM INDIGENOUS MAPUCHE

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Jun 23, 3:54 PM EDT


SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- President Michelle Bachelet is asking forgiveness of Chile's largest indigenous group for what she says are "errors and horrors" committed by the state throughout history.

Bachelet on Friday also announced plans to provide more resources to the Mapuche Indians, including financing for infrastructure projects.

Bachelet said that she will send a bill to Congress that seeks to create a ministry for the indigenous peoples.

The Mapuche resisted the Spanish conquest for 300 years and their desire for autonomy remains strong.


Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_CHILE_MAPUCHES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-06-23-15-54-15

[Judi Lynn]

1. Chile's President asks forgiveness from indigenous Mapuche

Fri Jun 23, 2017 | 3:10pm EDT



President Michelle Bachelet asked for forgiveness from Chile's indigenous Mapuche people on Friday for "errors and horrors" committed by the state and announced plans to give them more power and resources.

In the midst of growing tension between the Mapuche and loggers and farmers in Chile's south-central provinces, the center-left president said she would send a project to Congress creating an Indigenous Peoples' Ministry.

Cash would be dedicated to building roads and providing drinking water in remote areas, as well as programs to more rapidly transfer land to indigenous people that they claim as their ancestral home, she said.

"We've failed as a country," Bachelet said from La Moneda presidential palace in capital Santiago.

More:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-chile-mapuche-idUSKBN19E279?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29&&rpc=401

[sandensea]

2. The other nations in the hemisphere would do well to follow Bachelet's example.

In terms of sheer numbers of indigenous people killed, Mexico and Peru owe the biggest apology by far - but there's hardly a country in the entire Western Hemisphere that didn't engage in ethnic cleansing against indigenous peoples at least to some extent.