Posted on May 7, 2021

Mexico Apologizes to Indigenous Maya for Centuries of Abuse

Joseph Choi, The Hill, May 4, 2021

The Mexican government on Monday issued an apology to the indigenous Maya people for years of abuse and discrimination, marking the anniversary of a 1901 battle that ended one of the last indigenous rebellions to take place in North America.

The Associated Press reports that a ceremony was held in the town of Tihosuco, which is located in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, the headquarters of the indigenous rebellion and also where it ultimately ended. It is now known as the “Maya capital” due to its history in the rebellion.

“For centuries, these people have suffered exploitation and abuse,” Mexican Interior Secretary Olga Sánchez Cordero said. “Today we recognize something which we have denied for a long time: the wrongs and injustices committed against the Mayan people.”

“Today, we ask forgiveness in the name of the Mexican government for the injustices committed against you throughout our history and for the discrimination which even now you are victims of,” Sánchez Cordero added.

The AP reports that this apology comes as Mexico commemorates 500 years since the Spanish conquest, and 200 years of Mexican independence.

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