A ‘New’ Mexico on the March

Mexico’s Zapatista rebels are marching north out of their redoubts in southern Chiapas state this weekend with the aim of making peace in the capital. The walk, which will cover hundreds of miles and is scheduled to end in Mexico City March 11, is full of risks for both the Zapatistas and the administration of President Vicente Fox, but it also holds the best chance for a new Mexico to gather all its myriad sectors together for the first time in five centuries.

It clearly signals a timely opportunity to recognize the peoples of the south as equals. Yet there are worrisome issues, the march itself prime among them because it presents serious security risks. There’s been a debate all over Mexico about whether the rebels should leave Chiapas at all. The governor of Queretaro, which neighbors Mexico City, has announced he will jail any Zapatistas who set foot in his state. And a congressman from another state has challenged Subcommander Marcos, the Zapatista leader, to a duel at the grave site of Emiliano Zapata.

With these endless possibilities for provocation, the federal government should make every effort to ensure the safety of the Zapatistas and their followers. Similar responsibility lies with the Zapatistas. They must control those who join their march, such as the young men and women dubbed the “ultras” for their extremist ideology. Some are Mexican and others, whose activism was tested in Seattle and Davos, Switzerland, will come from the United States or Europe.

The Fox government faces a historic challenge in this encounter, and the Zapatistas must understand that they will be dealing with a new Mexican Congress. Fox has demonstrated his will to reach a peace agreement, but he does not control Congress. Some Zapatista demands are controversial, including calls for constitutional reform. That will need time.

When the Zapatistas meet with Mexico’s democratically elected Congress they should not expect an automatic approval of past agreements. Real peace in Chiapas won’t come until the ethnic inequality that has characterized Mexico for centuries is ended. That will require congressional courage and Zapatista patience.