Chiapas Rebels Hail Closure of Army Base

The leader of the Zapatista rebels hailed last week’s closing of an army base in Mexico’s troubled Chiapas state as a major victory for the guerrillas and a major step toward peace.

The letter, signed by rebel leader Subcommander Marcos and released to the media late Saturday, was the first response from the rebels since Friday’s hand-over of the base to villagers in remote Amador Hernandez. The closure is part of new President Vicente Fox’s aggressive strategy to woo the Zapatistas back to the negotiating table.

“This is a good sign and the first and important step on the road toward re-initiating talks,” Marcos said in the letter.

But the rebel leader said the continued withdrawal of troops was not so much a victory for Fox as it was for the Zapatistas and their backers.

Marcos led an armed uprising Jan. 1, 1994, dividing much of Chiapas state into pro- and anti-Zapatista forces. The rebels demand greater political rights and social benefits for Mexico’s long-oppressed Indians.

The rebel leader said that if Fox fulfills all his promises, including releasing scores of Zapatista prisoners, “the Zapatistas will respond in kind.”