INDEX
.1 CHRONOLOGY (MAY 31 TO JUNE 13, 1995).
.2 MEDIA MONITORING
CHIAPAS CHRONOLOGY
MAY 31 - JUNE 13
MAY 31
No Federal Judicial Police (PJF) agent takes
responsibility for the detention of Ramiro Artiga
Mart!nez who last February 11 was apprehended in
Tehuac n, Puebla on charges of being linked with the
Zapatista Army for National Liberation (EZLN). This
was the conclusion of a confrontation between the
defendant and five police agents, held at the Second
District Court.
The Concord and Peace Commission (Cocopa) rejected the
invitation made by the EZLN to attend the consultation
with the Zapatista bases. According to the Cocopa,
"the tone of the invitation does not permit to take it
seriously, and this commission has nothing else to
comment on it."
The Ministry of Health in Tuxtla Gutirrez confirmed
that as a result of the outbreak of cholera 648 people
have been reported as having acquired this disease,
with 17 casualties. As of this year, 213 people have
died from severe diarrheas, of which 196 were children
under five from rural zones with high marginality.
JUNE 1
Approximately one hundred people arrested and 10
wounded policemen was the result of a clash in front
of the municipal town hall of Tuxtla Gutirrez between
police forces and followers of PRI mayor Julio Csar
Garc!a C ceres who had been removed from post on
charges of peculation.
The Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) is not a
guerilla party, nor we are all Marcos, we are not the
right arm of the EZLN, although this is the way the
PRD is perceived, said Senator Heberto Castillo for
whom the current party leaders have not been up to the
society expectations.
Al calling all Mexicans to join forces regarding the
National Development Plan (PND) because "the fate of
the country is at stake," the catholic church, through
the Peace and Conciliation Commission of the Mexican
Episcopate in Chiapas, said that the PND and its
adequate implementation could bring peace to the
region and alleviate misery "that is always an ill
adviser."
JUNE 2
Based on land concentration, members of the political-
economic power in Chiapas took advantage of the
indigenous armed uprising of January 1994 to make it a
round business benefitting approximately 600
landowners (cattle breeders, politicians and even
academicians of the state). Throughout 1994 and amid
the social conflict and the critical situation of the
public treasury, almost 178,500 hectares --located in
63 of the 111 municipalities, inside and outside of
the conflict area-- were rented or purchased by the
state government in operations involving more than 221
billion old pesos. Official documentation from the
Ministry of Revenue in Chiapas, copies of which are
claimed to be in the hands of La Jornada, reveals this
but fails to inform the names of those supposedly
benefitted --particularly in the case of rents paid to
cattle breeders-- as well as the location of the
properties. Among the usufructuaries are Sa#l Prado
Guerrero, coordinator of agrarian affairs in Chiapas
during the government of Javier L"pez Moreno; the
Moreno and Kanter families (a member of the Kanter
family is president of the cattle breeders Association
of Chiapas; Oscar Castellanos Herrer!as, the son of
Absal"n Castellanos Dom!nguez; Edmundo Lazos Alvarez,
former secretary of Eduardo Robledo Rinc"n, and
Heberto Morales Constantino, ex-president of the
Autonomous University of Chiapas.
The governments of Mexico and Great Britain signed two
environment protection and development projects for
the Chimalapas and Bosques de la Niebla Ecological
Reserves, in Chiapas.
Members of the Democratic State Assembly of the
Chiapas People (Aedpch), who are holding a "parallel"
negotiation with the Federal Government through its
representative Dante Delgado, decided not to sign any
working document before "taking it to their
organizations" for discussion and approval. After
considering that the Federal Government "has not given
an adequate response to their demands," most of the
organizations that make up the Aedpch are confident on
resuming the "parallel" Dialogue next June 12,
"depending on the satisfactory answer to the problems
raised." The Aedpch has granted 15 days for the
Federal Government to put forward a solution to a set
of demands that include: "to set free all political
prisoners; to cancel all arrest warrants; not to
dislodge the properties recuperated by their
organizations before May 16, and the commitment to
regularize the status of those properties before 15
days," among others.
The Cocopa met with representatives of the Secretariat
of the Interior for an exchange of views on the
document of minimal discussion regulations for the
discussions at San Andrs Larr inzar. It was informed
that a similar project was sent to the National
Mediation Commission (Conai), and to the EZLN.
Governor Julio Csar Ruiz Ferro invited all municipal
government to act with honesty and "not to permit any
violations to the law." Meanwhile, judge Ricardo
Aguilar Romero ordered the aprehension of former
municipal president of Tuxtla Gutirrez, Julio Csar
Garc!a C ceres, syndic Josefina L"pez Ruiz de la Daga,
and the Chief of Expenditures of the town hall,
Francisco Quint!n Zorrilla Garc!a, on charges of
peculation.
A loss of 60 million new pesos was the result of the
invasion of the Prusia and Liquid mbar coffee farms
that for nine months were held by peasants of the
Francisco Villa Popular Front (FPFV). This was
informed by the President of the State Union of Coffee
Growers, a member of the National Confederation of
Small Proprietors (UEPC-CNIT), Carlos Bracamontes
Gris.
State governor Julio Csar Ruiz Ferro said today that
population growth rate in Chiapas, that in some
regions reaches eight to ten percent, overcomes any
social development expectancy. At informing on the
strategy to apply the State Development Plan (PED),
soon to be presented to Congress, Ruiz Ferro pointed
out that the communities with higher marginality will
have priority. He also said that the dissemination of
16,400 villages and of these, 12,000 with an average
of 19 inhabitants each, is one of the most serious
problems.
JUNE 3
The grief of "neoliberalism made government in Mexico"
are the Zapatistas, said Subcomandante Marcos in a
letter sent to British author John Berger. In harsh
criticism of this economic model, Marcos says
"neoliberalism disguises itself as defender of a
sovereignty that has been sold out in dollars, on the
international market." He claims that when government
negotiators in San Andres
talk of "solving the causes of the uprising" they mean
"let's get rid of them [the Zapatistas], because to
this system that concentrates wealth and power and
distributes death and poverty, peasants and indians do
not have a place in their plans and projects." Later
on in a communiqu sent to the Second National
Indigenous Assembly, held May 27-28 in Sonora, Marcos
tells that their demands will only be solved if "the
great national problems --lack of democracy, of
freedom and of justice, are solved in the first place.
Our struggle is not to prevent assimilation or
mediatization, but "to resist annihilation," because
the National project of the "technocrats governing
Mexico" does not look to include indians but "make
them disappear, annihilate them as social groups."
The government's proposal of creating seven corridors
for the Zapatistas to settle, has not been totally
rejected by the EZLN because they recognize "good
aspects" in it, said Comandante Tacho. However, the
proposal "has not been fully accepted either, because
it has bad aspects too." The rebel leader thinks that
the government's refusal to attend the consultation
process at one of the Zapatista communities, "does not
affect" the dialogue to be resumed on June 7 in San
Andrs Larr inzar.
According to the Mexican Academy for Human Rights
(AMDH), Televisa's "24 Horas," Televisi"n Azteca's
"Hechos," Channel 11's "Enlace," and Multivision's
"Para Usted," news programs "showed their
possibilities and limitations in covering the Chiapas
conflict," before and during the discussions between
the federal government and the EZLN at San Andres
Larrainzar. The monitoring of these news programs,
made from May 15 - 26, reveal that all four telecasts
made "an adequate coverage" of the conflict over the
period May 15 - 19. However, from May 22 - 26, the
same programs presented "the other side of the coin"
with the worse coverage of the Chiapas problem."
JUNE 4
Adolfo Prez Esquivel, 1980 Peace Nobel Prize, invited
the Mexican government and the EZLN to consolidate a
"domestic solution" to the armed conflict in Chiapas
and prevent "a regional problem" from mechanically
extending nationally and internationally. "The
indigenous groups, particularly those living in
Chiapas, are in a critical situation that needs to be
carefully analyzed, disregarding emotional or
political interests, to progress in the solution of
the conflict at the next meeting in San Andres on June
7." Prez Esquivel said that according to information
he had received, "there is political willingness on
both parts to advance in the Dialogue."
Members of the Emiliano Zapata Proletarian
Organization (OPEZ) marched in Tapachula to demand
from the state government the purchase of 3,000
hectares of land for this organization; the approval
of production, services and social care projects, as
well as an answer to the list of demands presented by
the women of that organization. Meanwhile, in the
Cacahoat n municipality, some 50 PRI members held for
five hours the local office of the Electoral Committee
in the XXIV District, in protest for the appointment
of the PRD member Sadot Escobar Mesa as president of
that Committee.
Peace negotiations between the government and the EZLN
will continue and there is hope that peace can be
finally attained, said laconically Samuel Ruiz Garc!a
after the religious ceremony held in honor of Jose
Luis Cortez Linares, provincial superior of the
Dominicans in San Crist"bal de Las Casas who passed
away last Friday in a car accident. Throughout the
years in this diocese, Cortez Linares always fought
for a new society, more pacific and just.
JUNE 5
"It would be unacceptable" and "the Mexican society
itself would reproach the EZLN" if after 20 days of
consulting with the Zapatista base, the EZLN comes to
San Andrs "with no authority to decide on some of the
points," said Marco Antonio Bernal, head of the
government delegation. He added that the next step in
the Dialogue "is a turning point" with a lot of
discussion matters.
Gustavo Iruegas, member of the government delegation
at the negotiations in San Andrs Larr inzar, keeps
telling that "we do not come to defeat the EZLN. The
demands that gave origin to their uprising, are fair."
however, Iruegas not only leads the discussions but
"is the toughest" in dealing with the indigenous
delegates. For this expert negotiator, the distension
areas are not confinement spaces. "They [the
Zapatistas] are not going to be disarmed and they will
be free to move around." He categorically rejects
that the so-called conflict zones are under siege by
the Army or that Zapatistas are being persecuted.
The abbot of the Guadalupe Shrine, Guillermo
Schulemburg called upon the federal government and the
EZLN to put an end to the "deaf ears dialogue" at the
third encounter in San Andrs and to reach tangible
results on the two main issues of the agenda: military
distension and rules of procedure. He asked the
Conai, headed by Bishop Samuel Ruiz, to seek a "fair
solution" and not to hold up the solution to the
problems of the people of Chiapas. On the other hand,
Felipe Arizmendi, Bishop of Tapachula, said that
negotiations could only progress if both parties learn
to love each other, to listen to each other, and show
respect. If they cease to seeing each other as an
enemy, they will be able to find "a fair solution."
Leaders of several human rights organizations created
in Tuxtla Gutirrez, Chiapas, the Party of the Mexican
People (PPM) to protect human rights as traditional
parties have disregarded this fundamental aspect. The
PPM has expressed a full support to the EZLN in its 34
demands to the federal government. Among its main
goals, the new party has mentioned the democratization
of the government and the society, the true autonomy
of powers, the creation of the fourth electoral power,
the formalization of referendum and plebiscite as
direct forms of popular consultation, respect to the
vote, against corporativization, for the
democratization of unions, and a comprehensive reform
of the federal and state constitutional laws.
Four peasants arrested and several peasants and
policemen injured was the result of a clash Sunday
afternoon between 500 villagers of Villacorzo and the
Public Security force when the last ones tried to stop
the march demanding the withdrawal of public forces
from the Prusia and Liquid mbar coffee farms.
Girolamo Prigione, representative of the Pope, said
priority in Chiapas was peace with justice and to
attain this it is necessary to give priority to the
demands of those living in miserable conditions, over
the political aspects because "first it is necessary
to improve living and working conditions and then take
care of the political aspects."
Reed Brody, as of May director of the Human Rights
division of the United nations Observation Mission
(Onusal) points out that the situation of human rights
in Chiapas "continues to be of great concern."
Brody also denounces that "in some cases" the National
Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has "covered up
military forces" particularly in the case of the
executions of last year. The Fray Bartolom de las
Casas Human Rights Center (CDHFBLC) and the
Coordination of Non-governmental Organizations for
Peace (Conpaz) fully agreed with Brody and added: "the
Army has been the main violator of human rights in
Chiapas since the very beginning of the armed
conflict, and particularly since the military
offensive of February 9, 1995." However, and despite
hundreds of denounces made by non-governmental human
rights organizations, the CNDH has not issued one
single recommendation to the Army in 17 months. The
Army is charged with illegal detentions, torture,
illegal searches of homes and other premises the
murder of peasants.
On May 24, 1995 Jesuit Mardonio Morales presented a
paper on oil deposits as an important factor in the
Chiapas conflict. We all want peace but have this
suicidal war against the Army and the government who
has the support of imperial foreign forces. We all
know that war against the Indians, the ecological
destruction, the submission of entire communities,
hunger, disease and death are the source of wealth for
some few people who have organized under neo-
liberalism and have imposed themselves with the force
of weapons. Why Chiapas and not Veracruz or Tabasco?
The Oil works in Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, and
Campeche has destroyed the forests, has disintegrated
entire villages, has destroyed the ecology in the
south east and in the Gulf region. Why was in Chiapas
the "Stop!" Here we can see the profound rancor the
system has against the San Cristobal Diocese and Don
Samuel: 35 years of a conscious-developing
evangelization work; 35 years of commitment with the
exploited, the ignored, the scorned, the deprived; 35
years of evangelic praxis in search of dignity and
respect for those millenary peoples.
Juan Ba$uelos, member of the National Mediation
Commission (Conai) has charged the government with
having towards the EZLN the same attitude the
Spaniards had during the Conquest. He says that the
Mexican Army gives the orders, and that it would seem
the negotiations only have the purpose of wearing out
the enemy so "he can make some mistakes that can serve
for the government to launch the final assault."
The government has an enormous responsibility in this
conflict: the disaster in Chiapas is part of the
Mexican disaster. And President Zedillo knows it. The
power of the Mexican Army is clear. It has
consolidated its commands and its intelligence system.
The Army controls government policies in connection
with Chiapas.
JUNE 6
Only few hours before the Dialogue between the federal
government and the EZLN, President Zedillo warned that
"nobody can make a mistake. Each step must be headed
to reconciliation."
During the recent consultations with the EZLN bases,
these "ordered" their leaders "to continue with the
Dialogue with the federal government," informed rebel
leaders. Two days before the resumption of the
negotiations between government representatives and
the EZLN, Comandantes Daniel, Jacobo and Candido have
considered that "it is worthwhile having these
conversations with the government and see if some
agreements can be reached." Members of the
Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee (CCRI)
of the General Command of the EZLN (CG) insisted that
their struggle is national because "not only in
Chiapas nor in the conflict zone there is poverty.
Poverty exists at national level and among several
social groups."
1980 Peace Nobel Prize, Adolfo Prez Esquivel, and
Bishop Samuel Ruiz called upon the Mexican government
and the world to make greater efforts to build "the
culture of peace" that includes the demands and
proposals of all sectors: social, political, ethnic
and religious. In a 20-pager document with the title
"Llamado a la Paz" (Call to Peace) Prez Esquivel and
Ruiz Garc!a expressed that "world peace is being
seriously threatened." Hunger, poverty and lack of
understanding among people are "a source of violence
that seems not to have limits," they said.
The Conai informed that land evictions and the
detention of peasants taking place in the last days
"do not contribute to distension in Chiapas" and do
not generate a climate favorable for the Dialogue to
be held in San Andres as of June 7.
One death and six wounded was the result of a
confrontation between some 400 members of the Public
Security and Judicial forces and 500 militants of the
Francisco Villa Popular Peasant Union, when these were
marching from Jaltenango, La Paz to the capital city
of Chiapas to demand the withdrawal of the public
forces from the Liquid mbar, Prusia and Sayula farms;
a better price for corn; and punishment to those
responsible for the "brutal" action of yesterday, as
well as the indemnification of the family of the man
that was killed.
Peace and stability in Chiapas will not be attained
while cultural, economic and political differences
persist, and that is why the federal government has to
launch a social development program and a true
agrarian reform, declared Bishops Felipe Arizmendi and
Felipe Aguirre, members of the Episcopal Commission
for Peace and Conciliation. They pointed out that
misery and marginality are not to be discussed or
negotiated "because abandonment and poverty among
peasants and Indians in Chiapas are evident and demand
a solution."
According to President Zedillo, the Mexican government
is looking for a long-term solution in Chiapas and to
reach this goal "we will be careful, patient and
understanding with the other part, but we will also be
firm in the decisions adopted." We are not looking
for immediate of spectacular results but to slowly
recover reciprocal confidence and be able to create
the conditions for a permanent solution. Zedillo also
said: "We are not looking to announce something
spectacular or to cause a surprising...
JUNE 7
The National Action Party (PAN) called upon the "armed
group" in Chiapas to incorporate to the political and
pacific struggle and with an "uncovered face" to
choose as a radical option the civil resistance to
demand an answer to their fair demands. In a
communiqu where no direct mention of the EZLN is
made, the PAN refers to the Peace Dialogue to be
resumed in San Andrs Larr inzar and to the Day of
Press Freedom.
The coordinator of the government commission for peace
in Chiapas, Marco Antonio Bernal Gutirrez, said that
the Zapatistas have not mentioned the issues that gave
rise to the conflict and that refer to social
problems, justice and attention to the communities and
the rights of Indians. The commission, he reiterated,
has been the one insisting on bringing these issues to
the negotiation table. So far the EZLN has not
presented its demands regarding these issues and we
are asking to discuss them so a solution can be found.
The immediate and unconditional liberation of
approximately 20 political prisoners charged with
being members of the EZLN, was demanded last night by
politicians, intellectuals, student leaders, artists,
academicians and journalists that gathered at the Che
Guevara Auditorium of the Faculty of Letters and
Philosophy of the National Autonomous University of
Mexico (UNAM). A phrase of journalist Miguel Angel
Granados Chapa seemed to gain consensus: "We prefer to
have more politicians in prison, than political
prisoners." Former PRD presidential candidate
Cuauhtmoc C rdenas, who was received with applauses,
pointed out that the existence of political prisoners
shows the government's fear for ideas and that is why
the government eludes debate and dialogue.
The National Confraternity of Evangelic Churches
(Confraternice) defended the proposal to create an
Evangelic political party and announced it is
preparing to take part in the August local elections
to renovate municipal authorities and state congress.
For the first time ever, the five agents of the
Federal Judicial Police that accuse Javier Elorriaga
Berdegu of being member of the EZLN leadership,
showed up at the First District Court and showed a
number of contradictions in their statements. Two of
them even said they did not know him. Elorriaga claims
that this proves that the charges made by the Office
of the General Attorney have no support and
demonstrate "I have nothing to do with this movement."
After detecting the cholera bacillus in 53 rivers of
the Costa-Soconusco region in Chiapas, the Secretariat
of Health called a "total alert" in the municipalities
of the zone and in those located in the Chiapas Sierra
Madre and the borderline with Guatemala.
JUNE 8
President Ernesto Zedillo thought appropriate to
"categorically deny" that the Mexican Army and the
army of the United States work "in coordination" in
the Chiapas conflict. He reiterated his conviction
that in solving the problems the government will not
accept pressures with "final, fatal or terminal
dates."
The EZLN has called for a new National Dialogue among
the democratic forces of the country and proposed a
"national consultation" for the society to determine
if the EZLN should become an independent political new
force or if it should incorporate to other forces or
organizations to form a new political organization.
The EZLN also made an "urgent" call upon the different
groups that are part of the National Democratic
Convention (CND) to "suspend their internal struggle"
and assume the organization and realization of the
national consultation, the results of which should be
published by August 8, 1995.
In San Andrs, a tape-recorded message from
Subcomandante Marcos an the live voice of Comandante
Tacho, gave the same message and recalled what
Zapatistas are good for, what are they offering
themselves for: "Our cry is for everybody to cry; our
demands are for everybody to demand." They extend the
invitation to a plebiscite, a national consultation,
regarding two issues how do you see our demands, do
you share them? and what do we do with the EZLN, what
is the political future you suggest for it? This has
pointed the talks in yet another direction. Does not
this respond to the good wishes of the government?:
"become a legal organization, enter into politics".
The Zapatistas claim to be a national movement and
thus propose to measure their strength at this level.
Coffee growers from 36 communities in the municipality
of Cacahoat n are holding the premises of the Social
Development Secretariat (Sedesol) in Tapachula, as a
means of pressuring the government to grant credits
with no other guarantees than their word.
A group of peasants seized the office of the
Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development
(SAGDR) in protest because the authorities did not
give them during the first part of May, the Procampo
funds that had been promised.
Soldier Alfredo Jimnez de la Cruz, 24, is standing in
front of the government building in Tabasco to demand
the intervention of Governor Roberto Madrazo Pintado
to solve his problem. The soldier was wounded by nine
Zapatista bullets in Ocosingo, Chiapas and demands the
payment of the institutional insurance amounting to
190 thousand new pesos from the Secretariat of the
National Defense (Sedena).
The head of the Health Sector in Chiapas, Valdemar
Antonio Rojas, confirmed the contamination with
cholera of more than 100 rivers in the entity and said
the state is in red alert. Based on reports from the
national Water Commission (Conagua) the head of the
health sector admitted that the Vibrio Cholerae
bacillus in every river, lake and well in the state.
In Chiapas at least 250 thousand hectares have not
been distributed among peasants with the non-
compliance of 27 presidential resolutions and 252
complementary resolutions, informed the national
leader of the Democratic Peasants Union (UCD) Rafael
Carbajal Torre. He said that "as long as misery
persist, the agrarian struggle will continue."
Carbajal also denounced that the trusteeships created
to raise funds for the purchase of some properties,
have not been properly administered. The organizations
have become real estate operators and peasants will
have to pay for the land from what they produce.
JUNE 9
The unconditional support of the Catholic Church to
the pastoral work and mediation performance of Bishop
Samuel Ruiz, is fundamental for the Church as
warrantor of the peace process in Chiapas,
"particularly now that this prelate has been attacked,
even by some of his own pastoral brothers," said
Adolfo Prez Esquivel, 1980 Peace Nobel Prize.
The EZLN presented to the federal government the
results of its consultations on distension measures
and offered a scheme of four "routes", one of which--
the one going from Monte L!bano to San Caralampio--
represents the sole coincidence with the official
proposal.
Subcomandante Marcos called again to the unity of
opposition groups after warning that any reform
attempt "would be impossible from inside the system of
state party. It is necessary a new revolution that
will only be possible outside of the system." Although
he considered that the crisis of the system is also
the crisis of the political parties, the rebel leader
admitted that fragmented, confronted to itself,
leftist opposition "has the honor of not having
surrendered, of having straighten up after each blow,
of continuing to fight and still believe that
revolution is needed and possible."
At the conclusion of the first day of the Second
Meeting of the Dialogue of the Civil Society,
participating organizations concluded that
negotiations between the EZLN and the federal
government should not take place behind closed doors,
but widely transmitted either directly or by means of
a remote control system that could be immediately set
up.
1980 Peace Nobel Prize Adolfo Prez Esquivel said that
the intervention of the Catholic Church, the
mobilization of the civil society and international
solidarity, prevented a civil war in Mexico, derived
from the Chiapas conflict. On the other hand, he
assured that the Vatican does not have the intention
of asking Bishop Samuel Ruiz to leave the San
Crist"bal de Las Casas Diocese, as had been informed
by the Vatican representative in Mexico, Girolamo
Prigione.
At the beginning of a state visit in Guatemala,
President Ernesto Zedillo gave a message of
recognition and encouragement to his counterpart, the
President of Guatemala Ramiro de Le"n Carpio and to
all the other chiefs of state in the Group of Friend
Countries --Colombia, Spain, United Sates, Norway and
Venezuela-- on their efforts to put an end to the
armed conflict and reach a lasting peace. Later on,
when Zedillo was granted the Great Collar of the
Quetzal Order, he said that the Mexican government is
decided to continue with the dialogue and negotiation
process in Chiapas so "we may reach peace with dignity
and social justice for everybody."
JUNE 10
During his official visit of Guatemala, President
Zedillo said that his government has not purchased any
weapons to be used in the Chiapas conflict. "Luckily
we have not needed weapons, we are not going to need
them, I hope, to solve this problem." He also
disregarded any links between the URNG and the EZLN
and therefore during his visit the possibility of
Guatemala and Mexico taking part in joint military
actions to check rebel groups was not even considered.
With no agreement on distension measures, the
government delegation and the EZLN representatives
will start discussions on the procedure rules for the
Dialogue. At concluding the second round of talks in
San Andrs, the parties separately informed their
decision to suspend the analysis of the distension
measures in view of the lack of coincidence between
the proposals presented by both delegations. On the
other hand, Marco Antonio Bernal Gutirrez, head of
the official delegation, said that in face of the
refusal of the EZLN to first discuss the Rules of
Procedure for the Dialogue proposed by the federal
representation on april 22 "we lost two months of very
valuable time for the groups that really benefit from
this negotiation," and questioned the true willingness
of the EZLN to negotiate.
The EZLN accused the government of not having a true
disposition to reach a minimal accord on the issue of
distension, but considered that progress could be made
in other points of the agenda. After presenting
several proposals that were rejected by the official
delegation, the Zapatistas declared: our counterpart
"is trying to cheat us, showing a nice face at the
table," and announced that the Indians that fled to
the mountains will not be returning to Guadalupe
Tepeyac and this village will remain "as sample of the
shameful betrayal of Interior Secretary Esteban
Moctezuma Barrag n." The new Guadalupe Tepeyac that
will be constructed in the heart of the Lacandona
Jungle, "will reflect the pride of the Zapatista
resistance and dignity."
Peace does not depend on the signature of some papers
by the government and the rebels. Peace needs justice
and conciliation, said Tapachula Bishop Felipe
Arizmendi, who also pointed out that justice is an
essential condition for peace. "Without justice there
cannot be peace," Arizmendi said in a doctrinal paper
and added that "while these injustice prevail there
will always be a danger of war and social instability,
no matter that peace papers are signed between the
government and the EZLN." Why is there an armed
conflict in Chiapas? Arizmendi asks, and answers
"there can be a lot of explanations, but a cause
nobody can question is the series of violations
against the Indians and peasants, and against the poor
in general."
The Mexican Army will hold its strategic positions in
Chiapas to guarantee the rule of law and the security
of the people in the conflict zone, said the president
of the Defense Commission, Gen. Alvaro Vallarta
Cece$a. Subcomandante Marcos "has fulfilled" his
historic role of making Mexicans aware of the serious
problems and injustice in the society. Now it is time
for him to assume his responsibility and contributes
to reach peace, without which no development or
progress will be possible in Chiapas. Vallarta Cece$a
added that the is a consensus in the society for the
EZLN to lay aside arms and be part of the national
political life.
The counsellor of the supposed Zapatistas Javier
Elorriaga and Sebasti n Entzin, Miguel Angel de los
Santos, said that their arrest had "political reasons"
and was plagued with "irregularities and violations to
their human rights." The defendants are charged with
sedition, mutiny, conspiracy and terrorism. De los
Santos, member of the Human Rights Commission of the
Coordination of Non-Governmental Organizations for
Peace (Conpaz) disclosed his report in which he lists
"the series of violations and irregularities"
committed against the supposed Zapatistas and
denounces the attempts "to involve members of the San
Cristobal de Las Casas Diocese."
Mexico got a "strong observation" from the
International Labor Organization (ILO) regarding the
way the indigenous workers are treated in this
country, "one of the causes of the outbreak of
violence in Chiapas," according to this organization.
Because Mexico has ratified Agreement 129, which is
related to the supervision of agricultural work, "it
is invited" to accept technical assistance from the
ILO.
JUNE 11
The EZLN denounced that troops of the Mexican Army
have marched into a number of communities "without
knowing their reasons to do so." At concluding the
fourth day of negotiations, Comandante David also said
that during discussions with the official delegation
"the Army has been using airplanes and helicopters to
fly over the zone," violating the cease-fire
agreement.
The government's delegation reiterated its refusal to
discuss national issues with the EZLN. Today's
discussions referred to the participation of other
actors and political and social organizations in the
national and local issues that will be part of the
agenda.
With some coincidence in some issues, the federal
government and the EZLN started to discuss the rules
of procedure for the Dialogue. The issues tackled--
general agenda, levels (national or local) and
participants-- will "mark the fate of negotiations,"
said Jorge del Valle. The press commission of the
Conai and the Cocopa informed that the Dialogue
process "progresses" although at a "slow and
difficult" pace due to the difference in positions and
language, and also to the importance, complexity and
implications of the issues to be discussed.
Guatemala will not do to Mexico what Mexico did to
Guatemala. That is why we have "more troops at the
border" said President Ramiro de Le"n Carpio, who also
warned: "We will not allow the Zapatista guerrilla to
enter our country looking for shelter, taking
territory, reinforcing and then going back to Mexico
to launch its attacks, as has happened with the
Guatemalan guerrilla in Mexican territory." Frankly--
he said--Mexico did permit that the Guatemalan
guerrilla made a sanctuary and a place to obtain
supplies in Mexican territory."
The National Students Convention (CNE) accepted to
organize the national consultation proposed by the
EZLN among preparatory and university students.
JUNE 12
With contradictory opinions on the results of the
third round of negotiations in San Andrs, the federal
government and the EZLN concluded a five-day
encounter. Talks will resume on July 4. At the end of
this day of work, the Conai-Cocopa press commission
informed that to the official delegation "the
agreements reached are still not sufficient, while to
the Zapatistas, the agreements are important not for
their quantity but for their quality and meaning."
Representatives of the government's delegation said
that the EZLN "uses one language at the negotiation
table, and a different one with the communication
media." The Zapatistas, on the other hand, demanded
greater will to advance in the Dialogue.
After saying that the results in San Andrs are "of
little significance," the official delegation warned
that the Zapatistas are making "a wrong interpretation
of the situation and of the government's lack of will
to negotiate." At assessing the results of the third
round of talks, Marco Antonio Bernal mentioned a
series of agreements that had not been honored by the
Zapatistas and that together "with the systematic
rejection of the offers and efforts by the official
delegation, confirm our doubts of a true negotiating
will on the part of the EZLN." The EZLN had accepted
a public commitment to determine and try one of the
seven corridors proposed. "However, this time it
decides no to do so."
The EZLN delegation participating in the negotiations
with the federal government considered the first
agreements reached at the negotiation table "to be
good." This time, he insisted, "there was more
progress that in the previous meeting." Comandante
Tacho, member of the rebel delegation, reiterated
their disposition to reach a peace accord if the
government really wants to do that and gives solution
to the demands that gave rise to the uprising. "We
hope the Government really has the will to progress in
the negotiations so the Dialogue is not left
suspended. He said that their will to negotiate "is
now greater because there have been good results." At
the same press conference, Comandante Domingo read a
communiqu in which the CCRI of the EZLN answers to a
proposal made by the government regarding public
communiques. The CCRI disregarded the official
proposal "to first inform, analyze and discuss the
most serious issues at the negotiation table, and only
after doing that, discuss them with the communication
media." The rebel group said "we cannot accept the
clamp they want to impose on us."
General Tom s Angeles Dauahare, military advisor to
the government delegation in San Andrs, informed that
the refreshment and supplying operations by the
Mexican Army in the conflict zone have been "fully
agreed, accepted and justified."
In order to advance in the Peace Dialogue it is
necessary that the government and the EZLN are able to
surmount vanity and stop thinking that each one's
criteria and positions are the only true, said
Tapachula Bishop Felipe Arizmendi.
JUNE 13
Amado Avenda$o, former candidate to the governorship
of Chiapas, declared before teachers and researchers
of the University of California, to be in favor of the
EZLN being recognized internationally as a political
force with the capacity to contribute to Mexico's
democratization. He also requested from the
government of the United States to pressure on the
Mexican president to speed up the pacification and
democratization process in the country.
The "first Mexican rebel embassy" was opened this
weekend in Paris, by the French Committee in
Solidarity with the Chiapas People. Other
"consulates" have been opened at various Spanish
cities, like Barcelona, and also in the United States.
At the threat by peasants from San Miguel and Santa
Mar!a Chimalapas, Oaxaca, have threatened to evict
"using force" three members of the special police
force called "granaderos" as well as 50 policemen from
Chiapas that were 'protecting' those areas, the
governments of Chiapas and Oaxaca agreed to withdraw
them, informed the National Committee for the Defense
of the Chimalapas.
Collection and compilation: SIPRO
Sources: Excelsior, El Financiero, La Jornada, Reforma
My 29 - June 9, 1995
The AMDH presents the results of the monitoring of
Televisa's "24 Horas," and Television Azteca's
"Hechos," coverage of the Chiapas conflict from May 29
to June 9, 1995. The lack of space has forced us to
omit the results of the coverage made by IPN Channel
11's "Enlace," and Multivision's "Para Usted" new
programs. Should information be required on these two
programs, please contact the AMDH and request report
'The Chiapas Conflict in four television news
programs: May 29 - June 9, 1995'.
During the monitored period, several events took
place: the Chiapas-related news presented by "24
Horas," and "Hechos" were:
1. The meeting of Interior Secretary Esteban Moctezuma
with members of the Concord and Peace Commission
(Cocopa) and the National Mediation Commission
(Conai).
2. The refusal of the Secretariat of the Interior to
accept the invitation made by the EZLN to attend one
of the consultation processes in the Lacandona Jungle.
3. The "new proposal" of the government to progress in
the Dialogue.
4. The statement of the Banco de Mexico (Central Bank)
that the devaluation of the peso was caused, among
other things, by the hostile attitude of the EZLN,
that provoked a speculative attack that could not be
halted.
5. The interviews made by both news programs to Marco
Antonio Bernal, Coordinator of the official
delegation.
6. The visit of President Zedillo to Chiapas.
7. The arrangements in preparation of the third round
of talks at San Andrs Larr inzar due to star on June
7.
8. The start and development of the first three days
of negotiations at San Andrs.
Total time devoted by "24 Horas" and "Hechos" to the
Chiapas conflict during the week of May 29 to June 2
was 17 minutes and 31 seconds; while in the week of
June 5 to 9, this time increased to one hour, eight
minutes, and 53 seconds. Per program, in the week of
May 29 to June 2, "Hechos" gave the Chiapas conflict
more time--11 minutes and 49 seconds, while "24 Horas"
gave it five minutes and 42 seconds. On the other
hand, in the week of June 5 - 9, "24 Horas" devoted to
Chiapas news 41 minutes and 17 seconds, while "Hechos"
gave it 27 minutes and 36 seconds.
Regarding specific actors, the Secretariat of the
Interior received most of the time in the week of May
29 to June 2 in both news programs, with seven minutes
and 15 seconds; the EZLN 59 seconds, and the Conai 54
seconds. Regarding effective voice and image time,
the Cocopa and the Ministry of the Interior received
two minutes and 32 seconds, and two minutes and 16
seconds respectively.
In the week of June 5 - 9 the EZLN was given more time
with 18 minutes, and 52 seconds; the Ministry of the
Interior nine minutes and 11 seconds; other actors
receiving some time were President Zedillo with eight
minutes and 51 seconds, the Cocopa with six minutes
and eight seconds and the Conai with five minutes and
23 seconds. The EZLN also received the greatest
effective voice and image time with eight minutes and
30 seconds; the Conai had four minutes and five
seconds; the Cocopa three minutes and 51 seconds, and
President Zedillo three minutes and 18 seconds.
On June 1 the Banco de Mexico presented its 1994
Annual Report, in which it insists on a thesis that
has been mentioned by several sectors, making the EZLN
responsible for the economic crisis in Mexico.
One of the expounders of this thesis has been Jose
Antonio Prez Stuart, a commentator on economic issues
of "24 Horas". On June 2, supported by the Banco de
Mxico report, Prez Stuart reiterated his position in
this respect: "During the administration of Carlos
Salinas, economic growth was resumed but in 1993 it
was halted as a result of the recession in the United
States that costed President Bush his reelection as
President of the U.S. In 1994, encouraged by the
enforcement of the Free Trade Agreement, growth was
restarted. However, the lack of confidence created by
the political assassinations, the kidnappings and the
outbreak of violence in Chiapas, caused a slowdown of
the economic activity. In December the flight of
capitals resulted in the devaluation of the peso and
recession."
However, other analysts like Erik Guerrero made the
following comment: "The Banco de Mxico, explains the
December devaluation with the crimes, and the
volatility of the financial markets to the hostile
attitude of the Zapatista rebels, which, according to
the institution, resulted in a speculation attack that
could not be stopped. Nevertheless, since mid 1993
the Mexican economy had shown serious imbalances
announcing the possibility of a devaluation; these
imbalances were also present before the 1976
devaluation with President Luis Echeverr!a and in the
1982 devaluation, with President L"pez Portillo, and
appeared again two years before the end of the Salinas
Administration. For example, the deficit in the trade
balance grew very fast announcing the devaluation.
With Lopez Portillo it happened the same: hugh losses
despite the boom of oil exports. Another red light
was the dollar debts of companies. In the Echeverr!a
Administration, these debts tripled before the
devaluation, and with Lopez Portillo the private debt
multiplied by four before the collapse of the peso.
With Salinas, companies also showed a large level of
foreign indebtedness. Devaluation was also influenced
by the decision to maintain a cheap dollar. Therefore
it is not accurate to blame devaluation on external
or political or military factors, because the economy
was already showing symptoms of devaluation long
before the occurrence of these problems."
The conclusion is that television audience was able to
have a reasonably equilibrated picture of what was
happening in Chiapas over the monitored period. We
can therefore say that the news programs analyzed made
a correct coverage of the conflict. Once again, the
EZLN was the actor receiving more total effective
voice and image time. Indeed, "24 Horas" transmitted
the entire communique where the EZLN proposes a
national consultation. It was "24 Horas" the new
program presenting Chiapas-related information in the
most adequate manner. Once again, we insist that
communication media have the possibility of offering
adequate information in behalf of the right of
Mexicans to be informed.
By: Miguel Acosta, Rodrigo G"mez, Gabriela Ibarra,
Manuel Mart!nez, Aime Vega and Ver"nica Torres.