Mexico Closes Army Base in a Goodwill Gesture to Zapatista Rebels

The new administration in Mexico closed a controversial jungle army base in a unilateral gesture of goodwill toward Zapatista rebels, whose supporters had protested daily outside the facility for more than a year.

The base--the first to be closed in Chiapas state--was handed over to villagers Friday, the third anniversary of the 1997 Acteal massacre, as part of President Vicente Fox’s strategy of wooing the leftist rebels back to peace talks stalled since 1996.

The Zapatista rebels want more political rights and social benefits for the state’s Indians.

Earlier this month, Fox pulled some troops out of the southern state and recalled others to their bases, without demanding reciprocal measures from the rebels. He hinted Friday that more concessions may follow.

“In coming weeks, the government will give further demonstrations of our commitment to peace, not solely with words and speeches, but with concrete actions,” said Fox, speaking during a tour of communities on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Explaining the moves, Foreign Secretary Jorge Castaneda said that “the government doesn’t see these actions as concessions, but rather, it believes they are intrinsically important, positive, correct.”

“The government concedes that [the rebels] have certain historical reasons to be distrustful of the government, to want to see proof of goodwill,” Castaneda said.

The Tzeltal Indians who live in Amador Hernandez, near the border with Guatemala, didn’t soften a bit as the last 75 soldiers happily boarded helicopters to leave.

Friday’s withdrawal came on a highly symbolic day: the third anniversary of a massacre of 45 Indians in the Chiapas village of Acteal by pro-government paramilitary fighters. Under a cold rain, 1,500 people marched to the village to commemorate the anniversary.