INDEX
.1 April 19
.2 April 20
.3 April 21
.4 April 22
.5 April 23
.6 April 24
.7 April 25
.8 Media Monitoring
.9 NGO Forum
CHIAPAS CHRONOLOGY
APRIL 19-25, 1995
APRIL 19
The Ministry of the Interior informed that the
federal government decided that "as a significant
measure of distension" the military position held
at San Andres Larrainzar would move away seven
kilometers, to the north, from the site of the
negotiations between the government and the
Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN).
According to congressional sources, the
Anticipated Amnesty Law that was expected to be
passed this week --to benefit the supposed
Zapatistas arrested after February 9-- was blocked
by the deputies of the Institutional Revolutionary
Party and the National Action Party who are trying
to hinder negotiations with the EZLN.
In a communiqu, the National Mediation Commission
(Conai) informed that the agenda of the meeting
will consist of the discussion and agreement on
the proportional and reciprocal distension
measures as well as the approval of the procedure
rules of the "Base protocol for the dialogue and
negotiation of a concord and peace agreement with
justice and dignity," as agreed to at the San
Miguel rendezvous last week.
Five months before the conclusion of the
administration terms (for the period 1992-1995) at
the 110 municipalities of Chiapas, 45 percent of
the mayors have been removed after being charged
with corruption, unfulfillment of duties and anti-
democratic behavior, among other things. Some of
the town councilors have been replaced by their
secretaries but in 34 municipalities multi-party
councils have been set up.
Common land owners (ejidatarios) from six
municipalities seized two Conasupo rural
warehouses and partially blocked the Tuxtla
Gutierrez-Alcala highway in demand of an increment
to the price of corn. Grouped up in the Union of
Common Lands and Communities of Chiapas, the corn
growers seized the silos at Nandalumi, Ixtapa,
Villa Corzo, Venustiano Carranza, Socoltenango and
La Concordia. Twelve peasant communities, members
of the Emiliano Zapata Peasant Organization
(OCEZ), the National Coordination of Indian
Peoples (CNPI) and the National Peasant
Coordinator, took part in this first action of the
corn growers.
April 20
Alejandro Valenzuela del Rio, government spokesman
on matters related to the economic emergency plan,
said the federal government will not disclose the
cost that Mexican taxpayers are paying to keep the
Army in Chiapas since January 1994, because "it is
a matter of national security." The number of
troops deployed has not been officially informed.
General Nicabardo Daniel Vazquez Carmona,
Commander in Chief of the 31 Military Zone at
Rancho Nuevo, said the dialogue to be held between
representatives of the EZLN and the federal
government has 'national importance' because the
Army "in no way" wants violence to unleash in the
country. Mexico, Gen. Vazquez said at an
interview, needs peace to develop and thus it is
the time to look for it. The EZLN is "the lost
sheep" of the Mexican "family."
Flanked by thousands of Indians acclaiming the
EZLN and Subcomandante Marcos, the nine Zapatista
delegates arrived to the Casa del Pueblo aboard
International Red Cross vehicles. The crowd came
down from the mountains in the mid of the night
and despite the severe cold at the hills, carrying
their children and hopes. In a communiqu
released in San Cristobal de las Casas, the
Ministry of the Interior expressed its
disagreement with the presence of thousands of
Indians at San Andres Larrainzar who in its
opinion, are supporters of the EZLN. "This
breaches the agreement of San Miguel because it
turns the site of the dialogue into a
propagandistic event of the EZLN."
They came from Pantelho and Santa Martha de
Zinacantan, from El Bosque, Simojovel, Mitontic,
Magdalena, Chamula and Chenalho. They also came
from far places like Jitotol or very unlikely from
Ixtapa, in an unprecise number between 4 thousand
and 10 thousand. According to a very conservative
calculation there were three thousand Tzotzil men,
women and children. It is the first political
gathering ever, of so many and so diverse
indigenous groups of the traditional Tzotzil
region that has not been organized by the
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). The
nervousness of the Ministry of the Interior and
its decision to start peace talks only if the
indigenous groups left San Andres, evidenced the
big surprise of the government.
The economic situation of the country, the news
about the bankruptcy of "Ruta 100" and its
effects, as well as the celebrations of the Holy
Week, were the main news in the four leading news
programs monitored during the week of April 10-14,
according to the results of the Mexican Academy of
Human Rights (AMDH). It should be noted that
except for Channel 11's "Enlace," the other three:
Televisa's "24 Horas," Television Azteca's
"Hechos," and Multivision's "Para Usted" did not
include "an information as relevant as the
encounter between representatives of the federal
government and the EZLN held at San Miguel,
Chiapas." In the week of April 10 - 17, "24
Horas," "Hechos," and "Enlace" devoted 26 minutes
and 14 seconds to cover the Chiapas conflict. The
analysis shows that less time was dedicated to
this subject compared to the week of April 3 to 7.
Finally, according to this report, the approach
given to the Chiapas events reveals "an intention
to minimize the issue."
April 21
The dialogue was delayed. The presence of
thousands of Indians scared the federal government
delegation. "There is no security," said the
Ministry of the Interior, while Deputy Rodolfo
Elizondo (PAN) charged the Conai with
"manipulating" the Indians to hinder the dialogue
process. Several versions pointing out at priests
Joel Padron and Pablo Romo started to be spreaded
almost six hours after the scheduled start of the
dialogue. Most radio stations broadcasted a piece
of information from the official news agency
"Notimex" making the priests responsible of
"organizing" the indigenous groups that wore hats
bearing black or red bands with legends in support
of the EZLN.
The problem was solved at a meeting held between
members of the official delegation, the Concord
and Peace Commission (Cocopa) and the Conai,
represented by Samuel Ruiz. It was agreed that at
7:00 p.m. of this Thursday (April 21) the Indians
and peasants "supporters of the EZLN" will have to
clear the main plaza of San Andres Larrainzar and
then form up the third "peace belt," behind the
military police.
The eight Commanders of the Indigenous
Revolutionary Clandestine Committee (CCRI) that
had waited all day long to start the dialogue with
the government, and the Conai, defended the
presence of near five thousand Tzotzil Zapatistas
that had arrived to San Andres to witness the
negotiation process.
Thousands of people demanded that the dialogue
that started in Chiapas be concluded in Mexico
City. At few meters from the official residence of
Los Pinos, the marchers shouted out: Without
social justice... there will be no peace! The
proposal to hold the final part of the dialogue in
Mexico City was made by Deputy Marco Rascon before
thousands of demonstrators that gathered in front
of the official residence.
Peasants of the Union of Common Lands and
Communities of Chiapas seized three more corn
warehouses to total nine silos under their
control. They also blocked the international
highway connecting Los Altos with the northern and
central regions of Chiapas. The Union of Common
Lands warned that if they do not get a response
from the federal government to their demand to
increase the guarantee price of corn from 600 to
2,000 new pesos per ton, they would intensify
their actions.
The Zacatecas Bishop Javier Lozano Barragan
invited Samuel Ruiz to promote the observation of
the agreements in order to guarantee a peaceful
dialogue between the Zapatista Army of National
Liberation (EZLN) and the federal government's
delegation. He said that holiness results in
peace when a person tries his best to prevent war,
"when he works on behalf of peace then his mission
is of peace." The Zacatecas bishop invited the
supporters of the EZLN and the Fray Bartolome de
las Casas Human Rights Commission to abide by the
Law for Dialogue, Conciliation and Dignified Peace
in Chiapas, that guarantees a peaceful solution.
He also recommended the Commission of Human Rights
of the San Cristobal Diocese to avoid any
demonstration that could inflame the spirit of the
indigenous groups and the followers of the
Zapatistas.
Luis Mena Arroyo, assistant bishop of Mexico City
asked the EZLN to stop manipulating the Indians
and start the dialogue with the representatives of
the federal government in order to find a peaceful
solution and improve the living conditions of the
people in Chiapas. He said he did not know what
Samuel Ruiz Garcia's intention was at defending
the Zapatista cause and that it would be better
for him to start teaching the Indians so they
could solve their problems by themselves. He also
said it was no possible that the government would
be yielding to the "caprices" of the EZLN who had
organized "a fiesta previous to the dialogue,"
when this is a serious matter as peace and
stability for the country are at stake.
At least 60 people supporting the EZLN and the
peace dialogue in Chiapas formed up a peace belt
around the Consulate General of Mexico at Los
Angeles, California, in order to call the
attention of the local press on the encounter
taking place at San Andres Larrainzar between
Mexican officers and representatives of the
indigenous rebels.
April 22
The dialogue between the EZLN and the federal
government is expected to start today, after the
rebel group announced the withdrawal of thousands
of Indians from San Andres Larrainzar, and the
Ministry of the Interior informed of its decision
to negotiate once the Conai and the Cocopa "report
that the meeting sites comply with the agreed
requirements." The Conai, headed by Bishop Samuel
Ruiz Garcia, "categorically" rejected the
"unbelievable" accusations made by the government
representatives making him responsible of
organizing the arrival of some five thousand
indigenous supporters of the EZLN. In a
communiqu, Samuel Ruiz declared that "to the eyes
of the world it was clear that San Andres
Larrainzar offered the security conditions
required to conduct the dialogue."
In an earlier press release the Secretariat of the
Interior had stated that the dialogue "was
possible" only if "the commitments made at San
Miguel on April 9 were fully complied with and if
the groups of Indians "carried" to San Andres from
a number of communities "with the support of the
EZLN and the Conai" left town." The Secretariat
insisted that the "active participation" of some
of the members of the mediation commission was
"evident," pointing at Gonzalo Ituarte, Raymundo
Sanchez and Miguel Alvarez Gandara.
The PRI majority rebuffed the proposal of the
Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) to have
the Chamber of Deputies exhorting both parties as
well as the Concord and Peace Commission (Cocopa)
to resume peace talks in Chiapas.
Members of the Democratic Assembly of the Chiapas
People rejected the government's decision to
interrupt the dialogue process and denied that the
groups of Indians had been taken to San Andres
deliberately. They also said it was "illogical" to
delay the negotiation.
On the other hand, the Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez
Human Rights Center, and the National Network of
Human Rights Civil Organizations "All the Rights
for Everybody," denounced Antonio Prida, "the
seditious president of the Mexican Commission of
Human Rights," for slandering the work of the
Conai, of the San Cristobal Diocese, and of the
non-governmental organizations that formed the
"peace belt" at San Andres Larrainzar. In the
opinion of both NGOs, Javier Alatorre --conductor
of the Television Azteca "Hechos" news program,
intentionally invited Prida to his program the
night of Thursday April 20, and based the
interview on a previously outlined script." He
also offered "a slanderous version that does not
help dialogue." On the other hand, in an attempt
to discrediting the work of the Conai and of the
San Cristobal Diocese, commentator Pedro Ferriz de
Con used the radio and television (Multivision)
programs to attack the Fray Bartolome de las Casas
Human Rights Center, calling it an "obscure
organization" but without supporting his
accusations.
If peace agreements fail in Chiapas there is a
risk of fostering a racist climate that could
result in a confrontation, said the 1992 Nobel
Prize, Rigoberta Menchu, during a recent visit to
Mexico.
The PRD Senator Irma Serrano, "The Tigress," said
she had financed the 10 or 12 indigenous
communities to be present at the dialogue in San
Andres Larrainzar. She asked told the media that
neither Bishop Samuel Ruiz nor any other
organization had any responsibility in the
mobilization of those indigenous groups and their
presence in San Andres Larrainzar.
If the Mexican State and society do not change
their relationship with the indigenous groups,
what happened in Chiapas will be reproduced in
other parts of the country as it will be very
difficult for the indigenous cultures to survive
if their territories, their natural resources,
their production methods and ways of life continue
to be attacked, warned the representatives of a
number of indigenous groups and organizations in
the country. At the table dedicated to culture,
during the Consultation Meeting on the Development
of the Indigenous Populations in Mexico organized
by the Indians National Institute (INI), Fausto
Sandoval, a Triqui from San Andres Chicahuaxtla,
Oaxaca, pointed out the conspicuously
discriminating attitude of the Mexican society.
He thinks the society "lags behind the State
because this has a more advanced discourse" even
if it does not materialize.
Led by the Chiapas Justice Attorney General Jorge
Enriquez Hernandez, approximately 400 police
elements used tear gas to expel some 300 peasants
that were blocking the international highway that
connects Los Altos with the northern and central
regions of Chiapas.
April 23
Journalists, envoys and correspondents from a
number of national and international diaries sent
to San Andres Larrainzar to cover the peace
dialogue, publicly denounced that information
broadcasted by Televisa and Televison Azteca
substantially distort the facts and that the way
they handle information does not comply with the
principles of ethics and objectivity.
The dialogue started today and both parties
presented their distension proposals. As
expected, the EZLN demanded the withdrawal of the
Army from the conflict zone, while the government
proposed the disarming of the Zapatista forces and
their relocation at three specific sites to allow
the entrance of government institutions for the
purpose of implementing social programs. The
members of the Conai and the Cocopa arrived in San
Andres very early this morning to check the
security belts. No belt formed up by Indians and
peasants was present because government
authorities tried to individually search them but
the Indians said they would not allow such a thing
and that they preferred to leave town.
More than 300 members of the organization "United
Poor" occupied the town hall of Tapachula for
approximately eight hours, in demand of land to
build their houses.
The armed forces would not accept the amnesty for
any of its members who may have violated human
rights in Chiapas, as they would have to be
punished according to the military law, said the
president of the National Defense Commission of
the Senate, General Alvaro Vallarta Cece$a.
The Secretariat of the Interior "gave
instructions" to the radio stations giving
information on Chiapas, to censure the Conai and
deliberately accuse Bishop Samuel Ruiz of
"carrying" indigenous groups to the meeting site,
denounced Jesus Gonzalez Schmall who is a frequent
collaborator at Radio Formula station.
Ofelia Media made "the first call to the National
Dialogue" at receiving the "Sergio Mendez Arceo"
National Human Rights Award granted to her by the
vote of 32 human rights organizations plus several
priests and Christian communities. The actress
said "it was a despicable act to have forced these
Indians to leave San Andres, and a sign of
ignorance on the part of the government that has a
distorted image of Indians." On the other hand,
Jorge Santiago Santiago, released from the Cerro
Hueco prison on April 14, received a "special
mention on behalf of his rights."
The High Commission of the United Nations for
Human Rights keeps a fax line permanently open to
receive denounces from the victims of human rights
abuses, from their families and from non-
governmental organizations. The High Commission
intends "to react promptly to emergency
situations," so its "direct line for human rights
issues" will be working 24 hours a day, informed
the head of the High Commission Jose Ayala Lasso.
"The Geneva direct telephone line --(41-22) 917-
0092-- will be extremely valuable for those trying
to contact us urgently and could even help to save
lives."
The federal government offered the EZLN to
withdraw its armed forces if it accepts to become
a legal political group. The EZLN rejected the
proposal saying it was not created for political
purposes but to fight poverty, injustice and the
lack of democracy. During the first day of
discussions in which four of the eight agenda
items were covered, the coordinator of the
government delegation Marco Antonio Bernal said
the government's proposal includes an invitation
to the EZLN to act within the scope of the law by
becoming a national or regional political force.
In responding to this, Commander Tacho rejected
the proposal and said that if the government
considers this a distension measure "it would be
the last thing they would accept."
April 24
The government "does not want peace," it is
"asking for the capitulation of the EZLN," charged
the Zapatistas after an "extraordinary" break of
19 days was agreed. Dialogue will resume on May
12.
Hampered by the discussion on distension measures,
the delegations of the EZLN and of the federal
government agreed to this "extraordinary"
adjournment requested by the rebel group. The EZLN
delegation will take the proposal made by the
government to lay aside arms and concentrate its
forces at three specific sites, to the indigenous
communities for consultation. According to an
official document, in exchange for the EZLN
becoming a "legal organization," and accepting to
concentrate its forces, the Mexican Army would
have "a presence consistent with a peaceful
situation and social accord."
Arch-bishop Carlos Quintero Arce said it would be
advisable that the EZLN become a political party
so that its actions would be within the rule of
the law.
April 25
The federal government reiterated "its will to
progress with respect, seriousness and
truthfulness in the construction of a fair,
dignified and definitive peace for Chiapas." In a
communiqu released at 10:45 p.m., the Secretariat
of the Interior declared that the position of the
EZLN "is more oriented to political propaganda
objectives than to contributing to distension."
It also said that in response to the "decided"
attitude of the federal government, the armed
group only offered to maintain what it has called
"its current mountain positions." "The delegation
of the federal government presented a
comprehensive concept of distension that
guarantees continuity to the peace process and
that only needs a program and a schedule to be
completed," pointed out the Secretariat of the
Interior, and added that the EZLN "presented a
proposal that included taking a number of
actions." The government delegation referred to
the rebel proposal that the Army withdraw to the
positions it held on February 8. After analyzing
the proposals made by the EZLN "the government
delegation concluded that there was neither
reciprocity nor proportionality between what was
offered and what was requested."
The fact that some Indians have yielded to the
temptation of arms --Chiapas case-- has at least
attracted everybody's attention to the miserable
situation they have endured for centuries, said
the President of the Conference of the Mexican
Episcopate (CEM), Sergio Obeso Rivera.
The first stage of the dialogue between the
federal government and the EZLN has concluded. The
Zapatista delegation --David, Tacho, Zebedeo,
Guillermo, Galindo, Moises, Ramon and Domingo,
talked to a dozen national and international
journalists and made a balance of this first
round. They are quite unhappy, more for the way
they were treated by the government delegates than
by the limited progress achieved. A political
negotiation is usually a word dispute, even a
dispute for the word, but what has offended the
Zapatista Commanders is that using an
authoritarian treatment "they [the government
delegates] wanted to deceive us." In Tacho's
words: "what they tried to do was to teach us the
meaning of words. What is the meaning of
distension." They were treated like ignorant and
spoiled children. According to David: "the
government people tried to humiliate us, crush us
down, making mock of our proposal." It was not a
game of words, it was a bargaining of the right to
speak. "They make proposals as if they were
orders." According to the Zapatistas,
subordination starts by the word, and the San
Andres dialogue was dominated by the government's
intent to impose their word on us based on their
academic, cultural and legal supremacy, and a
speech superiority equivalent to that of the
Spaniard conquerors.
Although the government "is doing its job" at
asking the EZLN to lay aside arms, we must admit
that first it is necessary to satisfy the fair
demands of the Indians, said Monterrey Arch-bishop
Adolfo Suarez Rivera. In his opinion, the attacks
against the figure and role of the San Cristobal
de las Casas Bishop, Samuel Ruiz Garcia, "delay"
the peace process. He added that peace will not
be achieved only through the signature of some
agreements but through a long period of
conciliation in which the Church and all men with
good will have to participate.
In a press bulletin released in San Cristobal, the
Secretariat of the Interior said the EZLN had
evaluated the government proposal as being "of
great importance and consequence." At the same
time, at San Andres, Commander David explained the
government's proposal: "They tell us: congregate
at that place, we will send you food there, we
will provide services to you, you will be under
the responsibility of the government. We could
see ourselves like porks in a stall, being
fattened under their supervision and also under
threat. This is how we perceive their arrogance."
There is a common grievance in the comments of
the Zapatistas: they were not treated with respect
at the negotiation table. The cultural barrier,
who teaches who, was a heavy burden.
MEDIA MONITORING
April 17 - 21, 1995
The analysis of the monitoring of two night
television news programs by the Mexican Academy of
Human Rights, A.C. (AMDH) over the week of April
17-21, 1995, revealed that while both telecasts
considerably increased the time devoted to the
Chiapas conflict, no objective nor impartial
information was given regarding the meeting
between the federal government envoys and the
representatives of the Zapatista Army of National
Liberation (EZLN), held at San Andres Larrainzar.
On the contrary, both telecasts showed a tendency
to take as a truth the statements of the
government delegation aimed at discrediting and
criticizing the labor of the National Mediation
Commission (Conai) and the EZLN. Following are
the most important conclusions of the analysis
made of Televisa's "24 Horas" and Television
Azteca's "Hechos." Given the importance of these
two news programs, the analysis of the other two
telecasts, "Para Usted" and "Enlace," was left out
although a brief comment on their coverage is
included.
Between April 17 and April 21, total time given by
"24 Horas" and "Hechos" to the Chiapas events was
one hour, 18 minutes and 22 seconds. This
represents an increase of 55 minutes compared to
the coverage given over the week of April 10-14.
"Hechos" was the program giving more time to
Chiapas: 40 minutes and 17 seconds, while "24
Horas" allocated 38 minutes and five seconds to
this subject. In both cases, the coverage time
almost tripled with respect to the previous week
monitored.
On the other hand, there continues to be a
disproportion in the allotment of time to the
various actors, with a clear tendency to favoring
the government's viewpoint. Representatives of
the federal government received 23 minutes and 38
seconds; the Concord and Peace Commission for
Chiapas, 12 minutes and 45 seconds; the EZLN five
minutes and 16 seconds and the Conai only two
minutes and 34 seconds. Although it was precisely
the Conai the most criticized actor over the
period analyzed, it was not given any space to
defend itself.
This time we will focus on the analysis of the
form in which these telecasts presented the
information on the dialogue held at San Andres
Larrainzar. Regarding the two news programs not
included, "Para Usted" showed a trend similar to
that of "Hechos" and "24 Horas," while "Enlace"
was more objective and kept at a safe distance
from the main performers.
For the first time since February 9, when the
monitoring program was launched, "Hechos"
interviewed a representative of a non-governmental
organization (NGO). It was Antonio Prida,
President of the Mexican Commission of Human
Rights (CMDH). We must underline that at the
interview a number of serious accusations were
made against the Conai and specifically against
the San Cristobal de las Casas Bishop, Samuel
Ruiz. Both the Conai and Samuel Ruiz were charged
with being responsible of organizing the
mobilization of indigenous EZLN supporters to San
Andres Larrainzar which, according to the
government, caused the dialogue to be delayed.
These accusations were made not only by Antonio
Prida but by the telecast commentator Javier
Alatorre who included in his questions some
statements not confirmed so far, implicating the
Conai, Samuel Ruiz and other people in the said
events.
At the 7-minute interview of April 20 with Prida,
Javier Alatorre asked the following questions:
1. "I think that based on information just
received and on the latest events in Chiapas,
there are still some obscure issues about why the
dialogue has not started. Of course, the attitude
of the Conai attracts our attention and we would
like to discuss this with you as well as the work
being done by the non-governmental organizations
as part of these efforts to attain peace in
Chiapas. Let's take it step by step. What is the
role of the NGOs?"
2. Antonio Prida pointed out the importance of the
NGOs being independent of political parties.
Alatorre interrupted him to ask: "And those [NGOs]
that are now in San Andres Larrainzar, are they
independent?" Prida answered that some of them
had "close links" with political parties and that
in their attempt to be protagonists they were only
hindering dtente instead of helping it.
3. Alatorre added: "There is a piece of
information we got today from Notimex, the Mexican
news agency, about two priests, Pablo Romo and
Joel Padron, of the San Cristobal Diocese, who
organized the mobilization of the EZLN indigenous
supporters to San Andres Larrainzar and are now
blocking the dialogue. What is your opinion on
this?"
Prida answered that there is a "clear
incompatibility" between the duties of a priest
and political activities, without making any
direct reference to the two priests mentioned by
Alatorre.
4. Later on, the conductor of "Hechos" said:
"Apparently there is a distinct organization, a
logistic [sic] design, so to speak, of the EZLN
supporters at San Andres Larrainzar. Is this
legitimate? I mean, particularly at a moment where
an opportunity for peace is being looked for."
5. Prida answered that "This [the mobilization of
Indians] is something organized with excessive
protagonist intentions and, in our opinion..."
Javier Alatorre interrupted him again and asked:
"On the part of who, in your opinion." And Prida
charged: "Well, particularly on the part of Bishop
Samuel Ruiz, among other people." Prida also said
it would be very difficult for Samuel Ruiz to
continue acting as mediator because a "confident
performance" was required from both parties at the
negotiation.
6. To conclude, Javier Alatorre said: "Finally I
would ask you if... I mean, the Mexican Commission
of Human Rights has been to Chiapas on several
occasions and has been close to the conflict. In
fact, Antonio Prida was recently down there. In
your opinion, from the Mexican Commission of Human
Rights' point of view, does the Conai want or does
not want a solution to the Chiapas conflict?"
Prida said that everybody, including the Conai,
want a solution but that the aspiration to take a
leading position has contributed to expand the
problem.
It is worth noting that with such a wide range of
NGOs, including ESPAZ --formed up by organizations
as Convergencia, Comexani, Mujeres en Lucha por la
Democracia, etc.-- and COMPAZ --that includes a
number of NGOs in Chiapas-- that support the work
of Conai and Bishop Ruiz and that have had avery
positive presence in the conflict zone, "Hechos"
had invited a member of the NGO that accuses and
criticizes Bishop Samuel Ruiz.
That same day, "Hechos" produced a note in which
Alatorre states that "these mobilizations are in
no way spontaneous but a deliberate action not
strange to the Conai, leaded by Samuel Ruiz. This
is the evidence." It must be noted that the
author of this information was not the special
envoy to Chiapas, Francisco Trejo, but reporter
Jorge Zarza who usually covers economic
information. Zarza said: "A mobilization of
thousands of Indians started to be prepared three
days ago in an attempt to create an environment
favorable to the EZLN at San Andres Larrainzar,
during the dialogue between the government and the
Zapatista Army. Based on evidence gathered by
Television Azteca and other organizations, the
indigenous groups were manipulated by people from
the cities who had with them communication devices
such as walkie talkies. Notimex even gives the
names of these people: priests Joel Padron and
Pablo Romo, among other members of the San
Cristobal Diocese, and charges them with
organizing the mobilization of supporters of the
EZLN. Some of the people that were leading [sic]
the indigenous groups were dressed like
guerrillas. Based on information about a meeting
held last night at a hotel in San Cristobal and
attended by Samuel Ruiz, there is evidence that
the Bishop of San Cristobal has a responsibility
in rarefying the atmosphere, that resulted in the
suspension of the dialogue process today. Bishop
Samuel Ruiz refused to comment on his
participation in this events. In fact, agents
[sic] of Conai and the San Cristobal Diocese were
identified as having organized and lined up the
indigenous groups of the Lacandona Jungle that
marched to San Andres. Upon their arrival in San
Andres, they were given signs and laces to
decorate their heads, showing phrases in support
of the EZLN and Marcos. Even children were bearing
them."
At the end of the note, Alatorre said: "There you
have the images showing the organization of the
EZLN supporters to be taken to the dialogue site."
The images telecasted are those of the Indians
marching on the streets of San Andres. The only
image supporting the information is that of a man
that looked like an Indian and was using a walkie
talkie. No images showing priests Padron and Romo
organizing the parade, nor the persons dressing
like guerrillas were telecasted. The program also
failed to produce images showing Bishop Samuel
Ruiz or "agents" of Conai and the San Cristobal
Diocese organizing and leading the indigenous
groups.
Regarding this issue, Pedro Ferriz de Con,
commentator of "Para Usted" expressed negative
opinions against Bishop Samuel Ruiz and the Conai.
On April 20, Ferriz de Con said that Samuel Ruiz
"is delighted with the idea of turning this [the
dialogue taking place at San Andres Larrainzar]
into a happening, where they can start to move as
many people as possible..." Ferriz de Con also
said that "the Bishop of San Cristobal de las
Casas is the diva" of the negotiation process. In
a later note, this commentator said "For the
moment, I think the government arrives with a
proposal aiming at a solution. There are other
structures like Congress that are doing their
part, but the Conai has taken this as its own show
and in some way I feel there is a sort of
provocation that makes us think they are not
complying with the requirements."
On the other hand, Jacobo Zabludowsky, conductor
of "24 Horas," presented his Thursday April 20
telecast as follows: "Today there was no dialogue
in Chiapas due to a lack of security conditions.
The Ministry of the Interior denounced the
mobilization and transportation of EZLN supporters
as well as propaganda actions in behalf of the
Zapatista Army, that breached the San Miguel
agreement." At a live transmission, the
correspondent for Chiapas Juan Sebastian Solis
said that "the presence of five thousand Indians
and peasants at San Andres Larrainzar was the
major obstacle to the initiation of discussions
between government representatives and the
delegates of the EZLN, scheduled for this
Thursday. Groups of Indians gathered at the main
plaza and stayed there as part of the 'safety
belts' all day long. These Indians arrived last
night aboard trucks from different parts of Los
Altos and had stayed at the entrance of the
village before proceeding to the main plaza. So
far we ignore who brought them here, they suddenly
showed up and caused a chaos, so to speak, because
there was no order in the security belt they were
supposed to form up." Then a communiqu from the
Ministry of the Interior was read stating that
there are no security conditions for the
participants, and described the negotiations
between the delegation of the federal government,
the Concord and Peace Commission (Cocopa) and the
National Mediation Commission (Conai). Then it
quotes the federal government representative Marco
Antonio Bernal who conditions the start of the
dialogue to a verification to take place the
following day.
This tendency was reinforced the following day. At
its telecast of April 21, Jacobo Zabludowsky
stated that "for the second day in a row, no peace
dialogue could be held in Chiapas due to the
presence of indigenous groups that interfered with
security conditions. These groups left San Andres
Larrainzar late this afternoon." At introducing
his note on Chiapas, Zabludowsky said: "The
massive transportation of thousands of Indians to
San Andres Larrainzar caused the failure of a
second attempt to start discussions aimed at
attaining peace in Chiapas." After Marco Antonio
Bernal had read the communiqu released by the
Ministry of the Interior, the commentator insisted
that "the arrival of these groups referred to by
the Ministry of the Interior was a carefully
planned operation." This statement was preceded
by a note of correspondent Susana Solis in which
she made some categorical remarks that had not
even been hinted the day before: "The arrival of
thousands of Indians to San Andres Larrainzar on
Wednesday night was a demonstration of
organization and premeditation. They were brought
to the village through a timely and perfectly
planned operation. They arrived at San Andres
almost at the same time, after 10:00 p.m., in
trucks and pickups. After gathering in the
outskirts of San Andres, the indigenous groups
started to march into town shouting slogans. They
were guided by people that used radio
transmitters, among which Raymundo Sanchez
Barraza, member of the National Mediation
Commission (Conai), and Pablo Romo, President of
the Fray Bartolome de las Casas Human Rights
Center and a priest known to be very close to
Bishop Samuel Ruiz, were identified. The Ministry
of the Interior also remarks the participation of
Gonzalo Ituarte and Miguel Alvarez Gandara,
members of the Conai. It was evident that people
with great experience in mobilizing and organizing
large groups of people took part in the operation,
and also that some of them belong to the San
Cristobal Diocese. Contrary to what is customary
of indigenous groups, some of the apparent leaders
were wearing dark glasses to protect their eyes
from the intense sunlight.
This Thursday and Friday most of the five thousand
Indians that gathered in San Andres wore new
typical outfits, many of them wore boots and
trousers similar to those worn by the Zapatistas.
Some others were wearing caps like those of the
Zapatista militia. It should also be noted that
the supposed indigenous organizers were equipped
with loudspeakers to give messages and lead the
calling of slogans: Death to the corrupt
government! Death! Out Federal Army from the
jungle! Out! As part of the organization scheme
it could also be seen at some of the corners of
the main plaza that some Indians were acting as
informers. However, many of them told us they were
brought to San Andres without having been informed
of the real purpose."
Unlike "Hechos," the statements and information
given by "24 Horas" were supported with video
material and photographs showing what was being
denounced, except in the case of the so-called
informers. However, "Hechos," "Para Usted," and
"24 Horas" presented the government's point of
view and the accusations about the organization of
indigenous groups that had hindered the start of
the dialogue process, as their own. With such
attitude, these media are further moving away from
the required position of objectivity and veracity
in handling information related to the Chiapas
conflict. Compliance with the right to be
informed seems to get more distant as the days go
by.
NGO's FORUM
MEXICAN COMMITTEE FOR PEACE WITH JUSTICE AND
DIGNITY
The Mexican Committee for Peace with Justice and
Dignity was created in San Luis Potosi, S.L.P. in
October 1994. Originally, this Committee was made
up by a number of organizations but, as of January
1995 and in order to speed up the decision-making
process and take actions as required, it was
agreed that its associates would participate as
individuals and not as members of an organization.
However, because this Committee is not self-
sufficient, some organizations as the Human Rights
Potosino Center, the Potosino Civic Front, the
Training School and the Citizens Movement for
Democracy, among others, continue to support it.
Some of the activities carried out by the Mexican
Committee for Peace with Justice and Dignity are:
* Set up a booth at the main plaza of the city of
S.L.P. to:
- launch a number of signatures-gathering
campaigns demanding peace, showing Mexicans are
committed to fight for peace with justice and
dignity in Chiapas.
- produce and distribute a series of information
leaflets on Chiapas and on actions being taken in
support of peace.
- publish weekly or bi-monthly bulletins on
Chiapas.
- provide information to local communication
media.
- reproduce urgent information and distribute it
hand-to-hand creating a chain effect. "Ant
Operation."
* Emergency Actions-Letters campaign to:
- Dr. Ernesto Zedillo, President of Mexico.
Demanding the withdrawal of the Mexican Army from
Chiapas to create the proper conditions to
dialogue with the EZLN.
- Lic. Esteban Moctezuma, Secretary of the
Interior. Demanding the authorization for the
humanitarian organization 'Mdicins sans
Frontiers' to have access to the conflict zone, to
help the communities affected by the conflict.
- Foreign Ambassadors to Mexico. Demanding support
to solve the conflict.
* Collection of food supplies.
- transportation of clothes, medicines and food to
Mexico City and from there to Chiapas as part of
the various civil caravans going to Chiapas on a
regular basis.
Mexican Committee for Peace with Justice and
Dignity
Ma. Antonieta Mata
Morelos No. 710 - First Floor
78000 San Luis Potosi, S.L.P.
Phone and fax: (48) 14-1209