Cordially,
Javier Campos
Fairfield Univesity
Modern Languages and Literatures
Latin American & Caribbean Studies
Fairfield, Connecticut
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This article comes from HRNet. For more information please write to
Debra Guzman at DEBRA@OLN.comlink.apc.org
## author : fga@world.std.com
## date : 20.02.95
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Radio Netherlands - Mexican News - 2/20/95
6020khz - 6:45 EST
"Newsline" transcription follows:
Announcer:
At least 15 people were injured in southern Mexico on
Sunday in clashes between supporters and opponents of
the controversial Bishop of Chiapas.
Bishop Samuel Ruiz has put forward new porposals for
negiotations between the government and rebels of the
Zapastita Army for National Liberation. As Edwin
Coplin (sp) of out Latin American desk explains in the
following contribution, Biship Ruiz has been
controversial for some time because of his alleged
contacts with the Mexican rebels.
Edwin Coplin:
Long before the Zapatista uprising, the Bishop of
Chiapas, Samuel Ruiz, was already a figure of
controversy. His supporters revere him for his
unequivacable loyalty to the cause of the poor indians
of southern Mexico. But it is precisely that espousa of
the cause of the poor that has earned him the rath of
the conservative small businessmen and the landowners.
After the Zapatista uprising in January of last year,
the hostility between Bishop Ruiz' supporters and his
detractors has increased. His alleged contacts with
the Zapastistas have earned him praise from one side
and bitter criticism from the other.
The Bishop himself has always confined himself to
condemning the exploitation of the indians and calling
for non-violent action. To him, his involvement with
the social condition of the people is a logical
extension of his Roman Catholic faith which which
decrees that the strong should help and protect the
weak, even if that implies criticism to the government.
Voice in Spanish - English translation over:
``The conflict grows out of the general situation in
the country. The Zapastias did not declare war on
those directly responsible for the plundering, but on
the Mexican Army in order to show that what is
happening in Chiapas is part of a system that is
deeply corrupt as they say.''
This political involvement of Bishop Ruiz does not go
down well with those who are on the receiving end of
his criticism. The ``Red Bishop'' as he is called, is
accused of mixing faith with politics. A referenct to
the fact that he also uses his sermons to draw
attention to, and attack, social ills.
Voice in Spanish with crowd noise - English translation
over:
``What good is it for people to cultivate faith? What
good is it to master technology -- to have computers
and other inventions we admire -- if they only serve
to concentrate power -- to maintain the dominence of
one group over another -- while at the same time
shortages are created of the most basic human
necessities allowing hunger to increase in the
world?''
Nor does the Vatican approve of Bishop Ruiz' personal
blend of religion and social involvement. It is said
that Pope John Paul has already asked him twice to
resign. And the Mexican Catholic Church is divided on
the issue.
But Samuel Ruiz believes that his religious office is
an essential prerequisite if he is to continue to act
as an honest broker between the Mexican Government and
the rebels.
The National Cpokmmittee for Negiotation, which he
helped to set up, has for a year been acting as the
principal intermediary between the two sides, and put
forward a new proposal for talks a few days ago.
The Bishop, who recently began a hunger strike in
protest against the violence in the region, sees this
proposal as the only way to achieve peace in Chiapas.