Irish delegation visits Mexican rebels

AS AN IRISH DELEGATION visits Mexico to better its 
knowledge of the struggle there and to express solidarity with 
the Zapatista EZLN rebels, Shane O'Curry of the Irish Mexico 
Group reminds us that the struggle continues.

"As representatives from Ireland took part in celebrations  on 
the second anniversary of the uprising in Chiapas, the EZLN 
went in for more talks with the government.  Elected 
delegates from Zapatista communities have been 
participating in the 'National Dialogue'.  This dialogue with 
the delegates was agreed to by the government after it failed 
to crush the uprising in February 1994.  

"The February offensive had proved too costly in terms of 
publicity because of the litany of human rights abuses 
committed by the federal army.  The ruling elite, conscious of 
the damage this was doing to Mexico's image as an investor-
friendly market, opted for the softly softly approach.

"This is not to say that human rights abuses have stopped in 
Mexico.  In October 1995 Cecilia Rodrigues, an American 
national working to co-ordinate international solidarity with 
the rebellion, was kidnapped and subjected to multiple rape.  
Despite a press conference subsequently held by her in the 
United States, this drew little attention from the world's 
press.  This stresses the importance of public interest and 
agitation to stop the situation from sliding back into 
unrestrained repression.

"Despite the repression the Zapatistas remain unequivocal in 
their opposition to NAFTA and the US dominated neo-
liberal economic order.  NAFTA, they remind us, is a death 
sentence for the poor and indigenous of Chiapas and all of 
Mexico. Opening the economic floodgates to US and 
Canadian capital will wash away what precious little land 
they have left. 

"The rebel army which draws its numbers from the very 
poorest is ill-equipped and receives no outside financial help.  
This is in sharp contrast to the 40,000 American-equipped 
federal troops still deployed in the region.  But the Zapatistas 
have on their side the terrain and the support of their 
communities.  They also have the support of the millions of 
Mexicans tired of electoral fraud, government corruption and 
of paying the price of the economic crisis created by the 
country's rich.

"The Zapatistas' strength also lies in their absolute 
commitment to grassroots democracy.  This is what allowed 
them to successfully and credibly hold a National 
Convention for Democracy (CND) in rebel-held territory last 
year.  This was attended by thousands (the 'official' figure 
cited by spokesperson Marcos at his inaugural speech was 
"one fuck of a lot of people") representing peasants, trade 
unions, churches, Non-Governmental Organisations, and so 
on.

"Although the Zapatistas' political programme calls for land, 
justice and democracy, at the CND they refrained from 
making political demands, preferring to let the forces 
attending the conference determine the agenda.  This is in 
line with their stated belief that the revolution must be 
social, not one that can be determined alone by the outcome 
of an armed insurrection.

"They share this anti-elitist view with Anarchists; not 
surprising perhaps considering the Zapatista tradition is 
influenced by the writings of Mexican Anarchist Ricardo 
Flores Magon.  As an Anarchist he believed in the right of 
the oppressed to defend themselves and their gains through 
violence if necessary, but stressed the importance of the social 
revolution involving the participation of all, if real change is 
to be achieved.  The Zapatistas' commitment to the will of 
the people may prove to be their only ace as they go in for 
this round of talks."
