Government Seeking to Encircle Zapatistas With Montes Azules Dislocation: PAN and PRD

La Jornada Thursday, May 4, 2000.
Andrea Becerril.

Concerned over the risk that the situation in Chiapas will be aggravated with the federal government's announcement that it would be dislocating zapatista communities from the Selva Lacandona, deputies and senators belonging to the Commission of Concordance and Peace (Cocopa), academics, members of non-governmental organizations and other representatives of civil society are scheduling a new trip to Las Canadas, Los Altos and the Northern region of the state.

The issue was not a subject of debate during the Permanent Committee of the Congress of the Union session, since - despite the fact that the PRD parliamentary group tried to bring it to the platform - the other political forces requested that it be deferred until next Tuesday, arguing that they were not prepared for the discussion, according to PRD Deputy Jesu's Marti'n del Campo.

In a separate interview, Mario Saucedo, PRD Senator, said that the government strategy is quite obvious, as revealed by the Commissioner of the Federal Preventive Police (PFP), Wilfrido Robledo, last Saturday, when he stated he was reviewing the government request to go to the Selva Lacandona and to fight the forest fires in the Montes Azules reserve, and, eventually, to dislocate the indigenous who are settled around that protected area.

For his part, Felipe de Jesu's Vicencio Alvarez, PAN Deputy, considered it to be extremely grave and rash to try and carry out dislocations in the EZLN area of influence, since it could lead to a confrontation with the rebel group's support bases. "I don't know what the government is betting on with this tactic, but it would appear that what they're looking for is to establish new police enclaves in the area, without thinking about how explosive an action like that would be."

It would be even more serious if the Federal Preventive Police intervened in an eventual dislocation of indigenous communities, added the PAN deputy, who is a member of the Cocopa. He emphasized that, even though PRI legislators would most certainly oppose any attempt to discuss that point within that commission [the Cocopa], PRD and PAN senators and deputies would remain alert, in order to intervene in an opportune manner and to avoid a confrontation, which could have untold consequences.

Vicencio Alvarez insisted: "Despite the fact that the PRI representatives are doing nothing other than reinforcing the government's strategies in the Cocopa, there are, fortunately, legislators who are able to act independently and to raise their voices, in order to warn of the dangers that could result from forcefully removing communities from the Selva Lacandona who have been settled there for decades."

In a separate interview, Gilberto Lo'pez y Rivas, PRD deputy, reported that the group of legislators, academics, artists and NGO members who visited Chiapas last month are now scheduling another visit to the conflict zone, given the new circumstances. "We find the peace to be illusory and that the indigenous are living in constant anxiety due to the Army's presence within their communities and because of attacks and threats by paramilitaries. To which can now be added the danger of the dislocation of zapatista communities."

On this issue, Senator Saucedo Pe'rez, said that the group of legislators and representatives of civil society met yesterday in order to reviews the latest events - which are a confirmation that what is going on in Chiapas is a strategy of war - like the title of one of the last documents prepared by Bishop Samuel Ruiz - and not of peace.

Meanwhile, during yesterday's session of the Permanent Committee - that body's first during the recess of this 57th Legislature, which will have to conclude on August 31 - PRD legislators tried to bring the issue to the floor. However, the other parliamentary groups asked that it be added to the day's agenda at the next meeting.

Nonetheless, in the name of the PRD, Deputy Jesu's Marti'n del Campo expressed his party's repudiation of the PFP's eventual dispatch to the Montes Azules reserve. He said that would "increase the tension, aggravate the conflict with the EZLN and intimidate voters in the area."

Under the pretext of preserving ecology, he insisted, the federal government is seeking "to set a definitive military circle around the zapatistas and the communities who disagree with their policies in Chiapas. That is why it is necessary to not lose sight of the issue and to alert the population of that new authoritarian incitement by the regime."

Meanwhile, PAN and PRD members deplored the statements by the new papal nunciate, Leonardo Sandri, who said that he did not notice any conflict in Chiapas. "I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, thinking that his statements are due to his lack of knowledge about the chiapaneco situation. Let's hope that, as the days go by, he can find out what is happening in the Diocese of San Cristo'bal," noted PAN Deputy Vicencio Alvarez.

PRD Deputy Lo'pez y Rivas similarly noted: "It's a shame that Sandri is so superficial and talks about Chiapas without knowing Las Canadas, Los Altos, the Northern region, and without having exchanged words with the displaced indigenous, who have been attacked by soldiers and paramilitaries."

Translated by irlandesa