From: Michael Hoover <hoov-AT-freenet.tlh.fl.us> Subject: M-I: Zapatistas say govt attacks force them to keep arms (fwd) Date: Mon, 15 Sep 97 14:58:49 18000 Forwarded message: > Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 09:39:40 -0400 (EDT) > From: "Victor O. Story" <story-AT-kutztown.edu> > To: chiapas <chiapas-l-AT-profmexis.sar.net>, ATWS <thrdwrld-AT-sphinx.Gsu.EDU> > Subject: Zapatistas say govt attacks force them to keep arms (fwd) > > On Sun, 14 Sep 1997 > > MEXICO CITY (Reuter) - Mexico's Zapatista rebels said Sunday > the government is escalating ``a dirty war'' against indigenous > Mexicans in poverty-ridden southern Chiapas state. > Companero Isaac told a crowd from the National Indigenous > Congress that increased militarization in the nation's poor > south is a plot to destroy leftist Zapatista rebels. > ``In recent months the militarization in all our indigenous > zones has grown considerably, the formation of paramilitary > groups or federally paid and armed white guards ... with the > goal of destroying our organization,'' he said. > Such attacks have forced the Zapatistas ``to keep their > faces covered and their guns loaded,'' Subcommandante Marcos > said in a statement delivered from the jungle Saturday. > In a message to a rally of rebels in Mexico City, he pledged > the guerrillas will continue their armed struggle in Chiapas. > About 1,100 Zapatista guerrillas completed a four-day, > 750-mile trek from the jungle last week to descend on the > nation's capital. > ``The war continues in southeast Mexico and the Zapatistas > will continue to be armed and ready to fight,'' the pipe-smoking > rebel leader told about 5,000 followers, many dressed in > traditional garb and barefoot. > The Zapatistas caught the world by surprise on Jan. 1, 1994, > when the indigenous rebels first took up arms and declared war > on the Mexican government. > About 40,000 supporters greeted the rebels in Mexico City's > Zocalo city center Friday, not quite filling the square. > Analysts have said the rebels have lost some of the public > appeal they enjoyed when they first took up arms. > Almost four years after the initial rebel uprising, Marcos > said that ``peace is still far away.'' > Marcos' message was read by Indians wearing their now- > trademark ski masks at a congress for the National Zapatista > Liberation Front (FLZN), a new political organization. > But the charismatic rebel leader said the leftist political > body will not replace the armed defense in the jungle of > Chiapas, one of Mexico's most impoverished states. > ``When we formed the FLZN we thought that peace was near and > that our rebel activity would have to look for new expression,'' > Marcos said in his statement. > ``But we were wrong. Peace is not near,'' he added, accusing > President Ernesto Zedillo of dragging his feet in negotiations. > Mexico City's incumbent mayor, Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, welcomed > the Zapatistas Saturday at the first day of their assembly. > ``Thousands of citizens realize the merit of the Zapatista > cause, but we also said that weapons would not be the path to > their victory,'' the leftist leader said. > Until the current march and rally, the Zapatistas had > largely faded from the spotlight, their talks with the > government stalled and their protests essentially dormant since > their first months of violence. Last year they were overshadowed > by a new Marxist rebel group, called the EPR, which launched > surprise bloody attacks in the countryside. -- --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005