Given the limited availability of certified interpreters in native languages, the Veracruz Academy of Indigenous Languages (AVELI), in coordination with the State Judicial Branch, is working on the integration of a registry of expert translators that allows guaranteeing effective access to justice and health services for the indigenous population of Veracruz.
According to official figures, in the state nearly two million people self-identify as indigenous and speak an indigenous language; However, there are currently only about 400 certified speakers who can serve as interpreters in judicial and healthcare processes.
The director of AVELI, Victoriano de la Cruz Cruz, reported that during 2025 approximately 80 native language speakers were certified, most of whom are in the process of being incorporated into the registry of expert interpreters of the Judiciary, an initiative promoted by the presiding judge Rosalba Hernández.
He explained that the creation of this registry will allow, at the request of any court, to have trained interpreters to serve indigenous people in their own language, guaranteeing their right to due process. He added that this effort must also be extended to the health sector, with the presence of interpreters in hospitals and care centers, in order to offer an adequate and culturally relevant service.
However, he recognized that the current number of certified interpreters is insufficient compared to the size of the indigenous population, particularly when all the native languages spoken in Veracruz are at risk of disappearing, a situation attributed to historically monolingual policies.
De la Cruz Cruz stressed the need to expand the training and certification processes not only in languages with a greater number of speakers, such as Nahuatl, Totonaco, Chinanteco, Tenek and Tepehua, but also in Zapotec, Mazatec and Otomí or ñañú, among others, with the aim of preserving the linguistic diversity of the state.
Likewise, he highlighted that the training of expert translators must include specialized training in areas such as law enforcement, where specific legal terminology is used that requires technical mastery of the language, making constant updating essential to strengthen their professional skills.
Finally, he explained that there are two types of certification: one aimed at people who are already speakers of native languages and another for those seeking to start a learning process, through preparation courses and public calls, with the purpose of expanding the number of certified interpreters and strengthening access to fundamental rights of the indigenous population in Veracruz.
