04 July 2007

Recognition sought for Salvadoran diplomat

The government of El Salvador is seeking posthumous recognition for diplomat Jose Arturo Castellanos, who provided citizenship certificates to as many as 40,000 Jews during the Holocaust.

Recognition is awarded by Yad Vashem to non-Jews who assisted Jews to escape death during the Holocaust. So far, 21,758 individuals have been honored, but few have saved as many people as the Salvadoran consul general in Geneva in the early 1940s.

Castellanos authorized Salvadoran citizenship papers to Jews throughout Europe.

A two-year investigation helped establish the case for the former diplomat who died in 1977 at age 86.

For more, click here.

2 comments:

  1. I believe that the country's name is El Salvador. (San Salvador is the capital city)

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are right, of course, and I've made the correction!

    Schelly

    ReplyDelete