Qhapaq Ñan : indigenous peoples heritage as an instrument of Inter-American integration policy

The article aims to present short review over the relations between the countries of South America regarding the policy of protection and safeguard of one of the most exceptional elements of cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples, represented by the pre-Columbian Andean Road System - Qhapaq Ñan. The first part describes the road network and its meaning for the inhabitants of the Andean region from pre-Columbian to modern times. Further section presents the process of the nomination and declaration of Qhapaq Ñan as a symbol of the World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO (2001-2014). The nomination was possible thanks to the effort of the representatives of six countries linked nowadays by the Trail: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, and in official discourse on regional and international level was presented in terms of pan-Andean integration and cooperation (via structures of the Andean Community of Nations, OAS or CONSUR). The last part of the article offers some reflections about current condition of cultural politics and the process of implementation of the indigenous peoples' rights regarding the right to participation and the management of their cultural heritage.