CPTnet
March 20, 2001
CHIAPAS UPDATE: February 13-24, 2001

Tuesday, February 13
The team hosted a 15-member delegation from Jubilee Economic Ministries
(JEM). The delegation consisted of a diverse group of Mexicans,
Mexican-Americans, and Caucasian Americans, mainly from Chicago and Mexico
City.

Wednesday, February 14
Team members Claire Evans, Fred Bahnson, and Scott Kerr, along with Kerr's
pastor Dawn Chesser, traveled to displaced communities in the countryside
(campo) for a 3-day visit. Stopping at Acteal, Polho, and finally X'oyep,
the team met with various people to arrange activities for an upcoming
delegation. Before the evening meal in X'oyep, one of the women of that
community told how she and many others fled to X'oyep in 1997 because of
paramilitary threats, transforming it virtually overnight from a small
village of 13 families to a displacement camp of over 1100 persons.

On the day the team visited, many people from were gone from the community,
harvesting coffee in their home fields. They still do not feel safe
returning permanently to the homes they left behind three years ago.

Thursday, February 15
Bahnson arose early to hike down to Nuevo Yibeljoj, where he delivered
photos to families. He returned to X'oyep in mid-day and joined others in
assisting the women and children of a family in coffee de-pulping.

After an early morning helping one of the women in X'oyep make tortillas,
Kerr and Chesser traveled to Polho for more delegation setup, and returned
later to San Cristobal.

Friday, February 16
Bahnson and Evans returned to San Cristobal. On the 45-minute hike out from
X'oyep Bahnson stopped to talk with two soldiers from the army base located
next to X'oyep. The conversation focused on if or when the military would be
leaving Chenalho.

From February14-16, team member William Payne remained in San Cristobal,
preparing for CPT's Lent campaign on economic justice.

Sunday, February 18. Payne traveled to the campo to visit people before
returning to Canada within a few days.

Monday, February 19
Payne returned to San Cristobal unexpectedly, traveling back with a friend
from X'oyep whose father had died.

Tuesday, February 20
Payne traveled again to X'oyep with a group who accompanied the body of the
young man's father back for burial.

A 9-member CPT delegation from the U.S. and Canada arrived in the afternoon.

Wednesday, February 21
Evans and Bahnson departed for Acteal with the delegation and met teammate
Payne there. The delegation met with members of the Mesa Directiva
(governing board) of Las Abejas.

Thursday, February 22
 Team and delegation members attended the anniversary mass commemorating the
massacre at Acteal in 1997. (See forthcoming release: ³Mourning and
Healing in Acteal.") Later, the group met with a woman who had lost several
family members in the massacre. When asked how she felt about the almost
continuous presence of internationals in Acteal, she said, ³Since the
massacre, I am all alone, without my brother, without my mother. When you
are here I am not so lonely. You are my brothers and sisters." Music and
singing followed the service and continued into the evening, and delegation
members joined in the festivities, dancing and playing with the children.

Friday, February 23
 Kerr arrived in Acteal to accompany the delegation to the new displaced
community of Nuevo Yibeljoj. In October 2000, 96 families left X'oyep
because of a scarcity of firewood and water and established the new camp.

Representatives related the story of the displacement, and the delegation
joined in the community's evening prayers.

Saturday, February 24
Team and delegation members attended festivities related to the Zapatista
march in San Cristobal. Beginning in the afternoon and lasting well past
midnight, Zapatistas from all over Chiapas and their supporters (an
estimated 20,000) arrived at the Zocolo (public square) to begin their
historic 15-day march to Mexico City.

Subcommandante Marcos, the symbolic leader of the Zapatistas, gave the final
address, calling for the government ³who speaks much but listens little"
to listen to the voices of Mexico's long-oppressed indigenous peoples. (See
March 12 release: ³CPT Welcomes the Zapatista March.")