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The Fine Print

Two More Zapatista Communiqués that Set the Conditions and Paths of Dialogue with the Fox Government

The Narco News Bulletin

"The Name of Our Country is América"

-- Simón Bolívar

 

Communiqué of the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, Mexico.

December 2, 2000

To the People of México:

To the People and Governments of the World:

Facing the new chief of the federal Executive Branch, the EZLN defines its position with respect to the possibilities of a peaceful solution to the war.

First: The EZLN reiterates its disposition to seek, find and follow the path of dialogue and peaceful negotiation, to bring an end to the war and begin the construction of a just and dignified peace with the Indian peoples of Mexico.

Second: The objective of the dialogue and negotiation is to come to agreements and comply with them. Such that the dialogue and the implementation of agreements only are possible if they are constructed upon a base of trust and credibility. The parties must demonstrate that they are worthy of trust and that their word is credible.

Third: The EZLN, in its seven years of public life (and 17 years of existence) has demonstrated that its word enjoys credibility, that we are proud to comply with our word. Not only our history confirms this, but also our current disposition to dialogue.

Fourth: The EZLN demands concrete signals from the federal government that confirm its disposition to dialogue and negotiation, its commitment to come to agreements and comply with them, and its firm decision to construct a peace with the Indian peoples of Mexico.

Fifth: The signals that we demand are:

A. Compliance with the San Andrés Accords. Concretely, the transformation into law of the initiative elaborated by the Commission of Concord and Peace (Cocopa).

B. The liberation of all Zapatista prisoners in jails in Chiapas and in other states.

C. Demilitarization. Mr. Vicente Fox, during his campaign and in the entire period prior to the 2nd of July of 2000, has offered the withdrawl of the federal Armed Forces from Zapatista territory and the return of the Army to the positions it occupied before the war began.

Yesterday, the Army began a series of movements that reduce the revision points (roadblocks). These movements, according to the information that we receive, don't change the number or density of the federal troops inside the so-called "conflict zone"; these movements can be interpreted as a simple propaganda tactic that seeks to present what is only a reduction of checkpoints as a "withdrawl," but it can also be interpreted as the beginning of a larger demilitarization. The EZLN, making an effort, values them as a sign of a disposition to a major commitment.

The EZLN knows that the demand of national and international public opinion is the total withdrawl of the Army, but considers that it is also its duty to offer signals of its disposition to dialogue and to the peaceful solution to the conflict.

The diverse governmental military and police forces occupy, as of December 1st of this year, 655 geographic points in Chiapas; of this total, 259 correspond to the federal Army.

The EZLN demands the withdrawl and closing of seven of these 259 positions as a condition for resuming the peace process.

1.- Amador Hernández, in this case, also, the eminent domain decree dictated by Zedillo must be anulled.

2.- Guadalupe Tepeyac.

3.- Río Euseba (near the Aguascalientes of La Realidad).

4.- Jolnachoj (near the Aguascalientes of Oventik).

5.- Roberto Barrios (near the Aguascalientes of that place).

6.- La Garrucha (near the Aguascalientes of that place).

7.- Cuxuljá (near the community of Moisés Gandhi).

This withdrawl must be complete and must not be substituted for any other military or police corps (be it state or federal), and must not be simulated with geographic repositionings near the signaled points. That is to say, withdrawl does not mean "take a few steps back." Any new military or police position, state or federal, will be taken as a mocking and will anull all the signals.

In the moment that these signals have been complied with, the EZLN will send a letter to the federal government peace commissioner and to public opinion in which we will propose the place, date and agenda of the first direct meeting between the governmental position and the Zapatista leadership.

In this first direct encounter, the Zapatista leadership will propose the formal initiation of dialogue and negotiation for a just and dignified peace in Chiapas between the EZLN and the government of Mr. Vicente Fox.

With the simplicity and attainable nature of these demands, the EZLN gives a clear demonstration of its true disposition to continue to the ultimate consequences. That is to say, to the end of the war, and the path of dialogue and negotiation.

The reinitiation of the dialogue between the federal government and the EZLN is possible. The are necessary deeds on the part of the federal Executive and the disposition of the EZLN toward dialogue, but they are not enough. The mobilization of national and international Civil Society will also be necessary.

For all this, we make a special call to the men and women of good will, in Mexico and in the world, that they mobilize demanding the concrete implementation of these signals and the resumption of dialogue.

¡Democracia!
¡Libertad!
¡Justicia!

From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast,

By the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

Mexico, December of 2000

Another Communiqué, also issued on Saturday, December 2nd:

Communiqué of the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation

México, December 2nd, 2000

To the Mexican People:

To the peoples and governments of the world:

Brothers and Sisters:

The Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation declares the following:

First: The EZLN salutes the designation of Mr. Luis H. Alvarez as the new Peace Commissioner.

Second: The EZLN recognizes that, up until now, Mr. Luis H. Alvarez has treated us with the seriousness, respect and responsibility necesary for this delicate task.

Third: The EZLN announces that, complying with the signals demanded by the initiation of the dialogue, it will bestow upon Mr. Luis H. Alvarez the title of "valid negotiator."

¡Democracia! ¡Libertad! ¡Justicia!

From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast,

By the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

The Mexican Transition: Immediate History

Part I: Mexico's Next Secretary of State says Legalize Drugs

II: Fox's 1st Challenge is to enact the Chiapas San Andrés Accords

III: Fox Names Drug Reformer Gertz as Nation's Top Cop

IV: Answer the Call to Mexico City, February 2001

V: Marcos to Zedillo: "You Lost the War"

VI: A Play in Two Acts by Marcos

VII. Marcos Welcomes Fox: "You Start from Zero"

VIII. The Fine Print: Two More EZLN Communiqués

See Our Previous Nine Part Series on the Narco in Chiapas

Where Word is Bond