The 18th anniversary of the signing of The Chapultepec Peace Accords was celebrated by people and government of El Salvador. President Funes asked the victimis of the civil war and their relatives for forgiveness and also signed a decree creating a special commission to find missing children of the civil war. San Salvador, El Salvador. 16/01/2010.
After 12 years of a Civil war in El Salvador, in 1992, representatives of the government of El Salvador and representatives of the guerrillas signed The Chapultepec Peace Accords, on January the 16th. Today, former enemies sat together, talked and even laughed.
In his speech of the official commemoration ceremony of 18th anniversary of the signing of The Chapultepec Peace Accords, President of El Salvador, Mauricio Funes Cartagena, said today that he made the decision to admit that former State agents, during the civil war in El Salvador, perpetrated human rights violations, massacres, illegal use of force, tortures, among others.
Because of that, President Funes asked for forgiveness to the People of El Salvador, especially to the victims and their relatives. “In the name of the Salvadoran State, I ask you for forgiveness”, he said. This is an historical action for a President in El Salvador. The ceremony was celebrated in San Salvador. President Funes also signed, at the end of the ceremony, the decree that creates a special commission to find missing children during the civil war.
Mauricio Funes is the first leftist President in El Salvador. He won the elections last year.
After the official ceremony, in a free public event that took place in another location, there was a cultural and musical festival to commemorate the anniversary. In this event there were mime artists, clowns, jesters, musicians, marching bands and the celebration of an Indigenous Ceremony made by Indians from Izalco in honor to the 4 cardinal points. As a symbolic act, adults and children wrote their names in a wall, by meaning they also signed The Peace Accords.
