Heartbeat of Mexico 140 9/17/97 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source: Fronteras Comunes MEXPAZ ANALYSIS #140 "Heartbeat of Mexico" September 17, 1997 Due to problems with the internet this issue is late. Please accept our apologies. - 16th of September, the patriotic cries of democracy and justice - A new lustre to the 187th anniversary speech of independence. - Chuayfett's pronouncements on Chiapas. As it was publicized at large, the 187th anniversary celebrating the eve of Mexico's war of independence, had a special kick off with the visit of 1,111 Zapatistas in the capital (the 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 of this month). The presence of EZLN members had the following three motives: 1. To demand the government's respect of the San Andres Accords, signed in February of 1996, proposing Indigenous Rights and Autonomy. As well as demonstrating the EZLN's support for the original proposal presented to the government by the Commission for Concord and Pacification (Cocopa) in order to re-establish the peace negotiations. 2. To express their willingness to continue to dialogue, with visible evidence that the government is respecting the first negotiated point. It is clear the government has created the majority of obstacles throughout the dialogue, negating any political solution. 3. To participate as witness and initiators (although they can not be actively involved at the moment) of the Zapatista National Liberation Front (FZLN), publicly established on the 16th of September after days of discussion and decision-making in 16 different workshops. Without a doubt, the Zapatistas' presence was omnipotent and the government was forced to respond. During the traditional independence cry in the Zocalo (the political and historical heart of Mexico City) on the eve of September 15th, in addition to the rhetorical homage paid to Mexico's past heroes, President Ernesto Zedillo broke protocol and spoke in favor of justice and democracy. The Secretary Governor, Emilio Chuayfett ("La Jornada", Sept. 17) took the occasion of the annual military parade to address the public, declaring the willingness on the part of the government to dialogue as long as it sustains national cohesion. He asserted that the government would maintain its firm position with respect to Indigenous Rights and Autonomy if considered a real danger to national unity. For the EZLN, Ernesto Zedillo's ("Reforma", Sept. 17) stance contradicts all claims for peace and professed dreams of Mexican democracy. ANALYSIS The visit of 1,111 EZLN members was filled with enthusiasm. Beyond the presence of those participating in the FZLN assembly, the indigenous peoples of Chiapas and numerous regions of the country attending the National Indigenous Council, various international civil organizations from United States, Canada, Switzerland, Spain, Argentina, amongst others, the most salient point was their call for peace and political resolution to the conflict. As the government would not budge it leads us to the following problems: 1. The presence of the Zapatistas in the capital did not have the anticipated impact, consequently Indigenous Rights and Autonomy was not legally accepted and the hopes for dialogue are now remote. 2. The tension in Chiapas increases as these two irreconcilable positions harden. According to the government, the Zapatista's arrival speech on September 12th, in the Zocalo, was a full-hearted threat; "Acceptance of the February 1996 Agreements such as they are or War." Yet, the EZLN's statement on their willingness to fight was with respect to the government's continual tactic of denial and provocation of armed confrontation, not a " war or nothing", as official sources indicate. 3. At this stage, it is not clear how the FZLN could re-route the conflict towards dialogue. Evidently, the role that civil society can play in pressuring the government to honour their word as well as in transforming the President's lip-service to justice and the democracy, is primary. That the government refers indigenous people to observe the constitution when the very matter pertains to the inclusion of their guaranteed individual, collective and cultural rights, is of great concern. It is clear that the government is shielding itself in a biased interpretation of the Carta Magna, one which does nothing for the dialogue but rather impedes demilitarization of the region, and solution to the many problems which have emerged in Chiapas since the insurrection of January 1994. Javier Medina David Crow Fronteras Communes E-mail:frontcomunes@laneta.apc.org MEXPAZ An electronic bulletin collectively produced by: CRT: Centro de Reflexio'n Teolo'gica; SIPRO: Servicios de informacion procesada, A.C.; FC: Fronteras Comunes; CENCOS: Centro de comunicacion social, A.C.; CONPAZ: Coordinacion de organismos no-gubernamentales por la paz; PRODH: Centro de Derechos Humanos, Miguel Agustin Pro; CEE: Centro de Estudios Ecume'nicos; CAM: Centro Antonio de Montesinos; CONAI: Comision nacional de intermediacion; EP: Equipo Pueblo. The material produced by MEXPAZ remains the intellectual property of MEXPAZ. 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