ue ▁language ▁have ▁become ▁ext inct ▁through ▁the ▁M est izo ▁process . ▁The ▁country ▁also ▁had ▁an ▁Ol m ec ▁past . ▁There ▁are ▁small ▁populations ▁of ▁C aca opera ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁Mor az án ▁Department ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁Ch ' ort i ' ▁people ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁department ▁of ▁A hu ach ap án , ▁near ▁the ▁border ▁of ▁Gu atem ala . ▁ ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁ind igen ous ▁people ▁in ▁El ▁Salvador ▁have ▁been ▁critic ized ▁by ▁ind igen ous ▁organizations ▁and ▁academ ics ▁as ▁too ▁small ▁and ▁acc use ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁den ying ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁ind igen ous ▁Salvador ans ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁Non eth eless , ▁very ▁few ▁Amer ind ians ▁have ▁retained ▁their ▁custom s ▁and ▁trad itions , ▁having ▁over ▁time ▁assim il ated ▁into ▁the ▁dominant ▁M est izo / Span ish ▁culture . ▁The ▁low ▁numbers ▁of ▁ind igen ous ▁people ▁may ▁be ▁partly ▁explained ▁by ▁histor ically ▁high ▁rates ▁of ▁old - world ▁dise ases , ▁absor ption ▁into ▁the ▁mest izo ▁population , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁mass ▁murder ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁Salvador an ▁pe asant ▁u pr ising ▁( or ▁La ▁Mat anza ) ▁which ▁saw ▁( est im ates ▁of ) ▁up ▁to ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁pe as ants ▁killed ▁in ▁a ▁short ▁period ▁of ▁time . ▁Many ▁authors ▁note ▁that ▁since ▁La ▁Mat anza ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁in ▁El ▁Salvador ▁have ▁been ▁very ▁rel uct ant