The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heraldo Muñoz, accompanied the President of the Republic, Michelle Bachelet, during the handing over ceremony of the Rapa Nui National Park to the Ma' u Henua Indigenous Community. The decree was signed in the Ahu Tongariki sector.
The request to transfer the administration of the National Park to the Rapanui people was formally initiated by the Indigenous Consultation held in October 2015, in which the majority of the community requested the complete administration of the National Park.
With the agreement, the State recognizes the Ma' u Henua community's technical and administrative capacity to take charge of the park's administration.
Previously, the President, accompanied by the Chancellor, held a meeting with members of the Commission on Development for Easter Island (CODEIPA), the Ma' u Henua Indigenous Community and the Council of Elders, to address issues of interest to the island's inhabitants and the work being carried out by the Government in the area.
In the afternoon, the Chancellor participated in the ceremony for the inauguration of the Chilean Navy's Mataroa Lighthouse.
The delegation is also made up of the ministers of Housing and Urban Development, Paulina Saball; of the Environment, Marcelo Mena; and of National Assets, Nivia Palma.