El Salvador president apologises to civil war victims

President Mauricio Funes apologised to the victims of El Salvador’s brutal civil war and recognised the state’s role in human rights violations.

The leftist president also announced the creation of a commission to prepare moral and material reparations for abuses committed during the 12-year war that pitted right-wing governments against Marxist guerrillas.

Mr Funes spoke on the 18th anniversary of the 1992 signing of the accord that ended the war.

Mr Funes, the first president from the party founded by the rebels, said members of the armed forces and security agencies, as well as groups organised by the state, committed human rights violations and abuses of power.

The civil war left more than 75,000 dead.