E/CN.4/2004/80/Add.3 page 5 Introduction 1. Pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/57 of 24 April 2001, which established his mandate, and at the invitation of the Chilean Government, the Special Rapporteur visited Chile from 18 to 29 July 2003. His visit coincided with the final phase of the work of the Historical Truth and New Deal Commission, with whose members the Special Rapporteur was able to talk at length. 2. The Special Rapporteur would like to express his gratitude to the Government of Chile for its invitation and cooperation and to the Ministry of Development and Planning (MIDEPLAN) for organizing so efficiently the part of the schedule devoted to contacts with government institutions. He would also like to express his appreciation to the office of the Regional Representative/Adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and to the office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Chile for their excellent work in organizing a full and well-planned schedule of meetings and in taking care of the arrangements and logistics for the mission. He would also like to thank the many indigenous organizations that gave their time and provided useful information. Finally, he would like to thank the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights for its cooperation and, in particular, the Institute’s Diego Iturralde for his support during the mission. 3. The indigenous population of Chile currently numbers almost 700,000 persons, or 4.6 per cent of the total population. The largest indigenous group is the Mapuche people, which is concentrated in the south and which is in turn subdivided into various indigenous territorial groups (the Huilliche, Lafkenche, Pehuenche and Nagche). A sizeable contingent of Mapuche people also lives in the metropolitan area of Santiago, where they are classed as “urban Mapuche”; their characteristics and problems differ significantly from those of the Mapuche in the south. The Aymara (7.1 per cent of all indigenous people), Quechua (0.89 per cent), Colla (0.46 per cent) and Atacameño (3.04 per cent) peoples live in the north of the country. The Rapa Nui people - nowadays down to about 2,000 persons - live on Easter Island, and a small number of Kawashkar and Yagán remain in the far south. The situation of most indigenous people is one of poverty and marginalization as a result of the discrimination from which they have historically suffered. 4. This report contains the Special Rapporteur’s assessment of the situation of indigenous people in Chile and is based on information from various sources and on an exchange of views with State and municipal authorities, leaders and representatives of indigenous communities and representatives of indigenous, human rights and non-governmental organizations. I. SCHEDULE FOR THE VISIT 5. The schedule for the visit included talks with national and regional government officials in Santiago, Temuco, Iquique and Arica. In Santiago, the Special Rapporteur met with the President, Mr. Ricardo Lagos; the Minister-Secretary General of the Presidency,