New Day for the Zapatistas

On taking office in December, Mexican President Vicente Fox decided to risk some of his political capital by asking the Zapatista rebels to come back to peace talks, stalled since 1996.

Many in Mexico thought Fox was mistaken in reviving the almost forgotten rebels in the Chiapas hinterland of southern Mexico.

Even Fox’s own National Action Party criticized him for conceding too much to what they considered a belligerent, intransigent, unrepresentative and undemocratic group. But the possibility of new paramilitary massacres, like the 1997 killing of 45 men, women and children in the town of Acteal, remained, along with the chance of new military confrontations in a divided Chiapas. Fox held to his conviction that Mexico needed to heal its wounds and solve the conflict.

After a few verbal skirmishes in Congress over allowing the masked Zapatistas to address the legislature, the rebels took the podium of the lower house and spoke out. In the end, the speeches went peacefully, and polls now show that 75% of Mexicans favor granting the Indians the special rights they seek.

No formal peace agreement has been signed yet, but Fox and the Zapatistas deserve credit for the progress they have made.

In response to a Zapatista demand for withdrawal from seven military bases, the Mexican army has pulled out of six and is preparing to quit the last one. Most of the 100 rebel leaders who were jailed have been freed, with only 11 cases pending. A bill that would guarantee a degree of indigenous autonomy is being discussed in Congress; the odds are that it will be approved, though the necessary constitutional amendments will take time.

The Zapatistas have forced inclusion of indigenous people in Mexico’s political and social agenda. The challenge now is to turn the movement from a band of masked rebels into a sophisticated political entity. The Zapatistas and the government are off to a good start.