Marcos accuses government of bad faith

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Monday January 29 5:20 PM ET

Zapatista Rebel Accuses Mexico of Bad Faith

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Subcommander Marcos, leader of Mexico's Zapatista
rebels, accused President Vicente Fox's government of bad faith on Monday,
saying that top officials saw peace efforts merely as a way to advance their
careers.

In an interview with the newspaper El Universal, Marcos said Foreign
Minister Jorge Castaneda and National Security Adviser Adolfo Aguilar Zinser
had repeatedly made attempts to contact him that bypassed Fox's official
negotiator.

``The problem is they are not thinking about peace or indigenous rights but
about appearing in the photo next to us,'' the pipe-smoking Marcos said.

The National Zapatista Liberation Army (EZLN) took up arms in southern
Chiapas state in 1994 to fight for the rights of Mexican Indians. They broke
off talks with Fox's immediate predecessor, Ernesto Zedillo, in 1996.

Fox's efforts to meet Zapatista demands since his inauguration on Dec. 1,
which include the withdrawal of troops from key areas, have raised hopes
that a peace deal could be on the horizon.

Marcos said the peacemaker credited with brokering such a deal would gain
international recognition for his efforts.

But the two heavyweights' desire to steal the future limelight from official
negotiator Luis H. Alvarez was complicating communication with the
government, he said.

``We can't risk the future of peace over whom we like best or by talking to
three people at the same time,'' Marcos said.

Beginning on Feb. 24, Marcos will lead 24 Zapatista delegates on a tour of
11 Mexican states that will end two weeks later in the federal capital,
where they will discuss with lawmakers a proposed bill on Indian rights and
culture. The journey will mark the first time Marcos has publicly left his
jungle hide-out .

Speaking during a visit to Milan, Italy, on Sunday, Fox said he hoped the
tour would lead to a peace deal as early as February or March.
 
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