El derecho a la verdad de los pueblos indígenas

Abstract

The right to the truth has been recognized as a right of individual and collective character. In both dimensions, states have a duty to ensure, among others, the historical truth of the serious human rights violations. Therefore, the right to truth can and must be harmonized with the other rights of indigenous peoples to obtain synergistic results most beneficial to them. Because the territory is the basis of the worldview of many indigenous peoples, it transgressions directly affect their identity. Transitional justice processes should not address the restitution of lands of indigenous peoples from a limited perspective on private property, but this should be understood as part of the democratic and spiritual breakdown generated by the regime. As for the rights of political participation and freedom of expression, access to the testimonies of indigenous peoples should be guaranteed equal during the recovery of historical memory. The participation of indigenous peoples in affairs of public life represents an exercise of the right to truth, because it involves a confrontation of their current social situation with what they have lived during the last centuries.