Mexico’s Zapatista Rebels Go on Alert

Mexico’s Zapatista rebel group, which emerged in 1994 to fight for Indian rights but has been quiet in recent years, put its forces on alert Monday, but it was unclear what prompted the action.

The Zapatistas, known by the acronym EZLN, said in a statement that they were grouping their fighters, closing down their radio station and pulling out of villages they control.

They did not give a reason for the moves in the southern state of Chiapas, but the Defense Ministry said in a statement that it had sent troops into rebel-held territory last week and destroyed 44 marijuana plantations operating there.

The last time the group declared a similar “red alert” was in 1997 after paramilitary forces killed 45 people in the village of Acteal.

“All elements of the EZLN that were carrying out social work in Zapatista communities have been called into the ranks and our regular troops have been brought into barracks,” the Zapatistas said in a statement.

Human rights activists in Chiapas said the alert appeared to be in response to a move by the Mexican army.

“Something like this could only be caused by an important military mobilization. I think it has to do with the army,” said rights worker Ernesto Ledesma Arronte of the CAPISE Indian rights center.

But Mexico’s government denied any such turmoil through its peace commissioner for Chiapas, Luis H. Alvarez.

“From the information gathered by Commissioner Luis H. Alvarez in person during recent weeks, and validated by state and federal officials, it can be affirmed categorically that the border zone of Los Altos and the Chiapas jungle are in a state of full normality,” his office said in a statement.

Alvarez has sought to bring the Zapatista leadership to the negotiating table, but peace talks have remained in limbo since 1996.