Mexican Candidate Meets Chiapas Rebels : Politics: Cardenas is first presidential rival to visit leaders of uprising. Move is seen as risky for his flagging campaign.

Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, the opposition standard-bearer, has become the first Mexican presidential candidate to meet with leaders of the Chiapas Indian uprising on their own turf--a decision that supporters acknowledged Monday was risky for his already flagging campaign.

In this town at the edge of guerrilla-held territory, Cardenas stood on an open-air platform Sunday afternoon with the armed, masked leaders of the Zapatista National Liberation Army. In January, the guerrillas briefly took control of several towns near the Guatemalan border demanding national democracy, Indian rights and better living conditions.

“The (rights) for which you have fought are the same as those many of us have struggled for for years,” Cardenas told about 1,200 Zapatistas and supporters. He emphasized that his struggle has been peaceful and that he believes there are legal, nonviolent ways to achieve democracy.

Cardenas entered rebel-held territory near the end of a campaign tour of southern Mexico that has focused on government failures in the predominantly Indian region.

His trip followed his lackluster performance in last week’s first-ever debate of Mexican presidential candidates; Cardenas, according to flash polls, was knocked out of a firm second place as voters considered their choices in the Aug. 21 elections.

After hours of waiting at a roadblock in this village, Zapatista supporters and a few guards in dark brown rebel uniforms received Cardenas and his aides with marimba music and such chants as “The people united will never be defeated!”

When Cardenas had been escorted to an improvised platform, a horn was blown and 500 uniformed rebel troops descended from the surrounding hillside and into formation within seconds. They conducted a precision drill with arms that ranged from AK-47s to cane poles; mostly, though, they carried a mix of hunting and World War II-vintage weapons.

The troops then joined civilian supporters in singing revolutionary songs and, on command, disappeared again into the hills, except for a few dozen who formed a cordon around the area where Cardenas met privately with rebel leaders.

The mere thought of Cardenas appearing with the armed rebels horrified many of his aides, who believe that their candidate has suffered from the ruling party’s attempt to portray him as a violent radical whose election would bring chaos.

But Cardenas--in a brief interview at the rebel camp, where he joined the Zapatistas in dancing to traditional Mexican music with a rare, wide smile--said he was willing to risk his image. “To govern this country, you have to talk with everyone,” he said.

After two hours of private meetings, first with the Clandestine Indigenous Revolutionary Committee and later, alone, with the enigmatic rebel spokesman, Subcommander Marcos, Cardenas addressed the group.

Then he listened uncomfortably to a tongue-lashing from Marcos, who accused Cardenas’ Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) of choosing its candidates in undemocratic fashion and of adopting the government’s free-market economic policy.

“Why is the PRD different?” Marcos asked. He also warned: “We are not begging for democracy. We are demanding democracy. If there is not a (free and fair) election that leads to a transition to democracy, we will return to the alternative of arms.”

Cardenas also met with military commanders in the region, the governor and human rights activists. He toured a crusading local newspaper and visited a 6-month-old sit-in of Indians expelled from tribal lands in religious disputes. Aides said he tried to speak with ranchers, the most vocal opponents of the rebels, but that they refused to see him.