CPTnet
November 19, 1998
Chiapas, Mexico: Los Encuentros

Mexican "Civil Society" (unarmed groups seeking political reforms) and
representatives of the Zapatista rebels areholding an encuentro (meeting,
encounter) from November 20-22 in San Cristobal de Las Casas.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss publicly the issues that have been
suppressed in the public sector as the Mexican
government pursues a military solution to the conflict with the Zapatistas.

Unions, environmental groups, campesino organizations, artist guilds, media
workers, student groups, political collectives, and indigenous cooperatives
will represent Civil Society. This people-based forum will focus on the
issues of indigenous rights, the transition to fuller democracy, a citizens'
response to the internationalization of economics through such
agreements as NAFTA, and the peace process between the government of Mexico
and the Zapatista opposition.

This forum in San Cristobal is occurring at the same time as another one
taking place in three Zapatista centers around the state - La Realidad,
Morelia, and Oventic. This second set of meetings is between the Zapatistas
and COCOPA, which represents the parties of the Mexican legislature and has
been assigned the task of representing the Mexican government in the peace
dialog with the Zapatistas.

But can these encuentros take place as planned? CPTers traveling in the
highlands this past week were stopped by new military checkpoints just outside
San Cristobal. Reports also indicate major military buildups in the areas
from which the Zapatista representatives will be traveling to the two
encuentros.

The International Red Cross has been asked to provide accompaniment for the
Zapatista travelers who fear renewed attacks from the Mexican military. At
the meetings Mexican Red Cross will provide a human barrier circle protecting
the meeting places. Their circle will in turn be encircled by a
civilian peace belt and on the outside, as legally required, by a ring of the
Mexican military.

Tensions are high because the large military presence erects barriers to the
involvement of Zapatista and indigenous groups coming from the countryside to
the meetings. Military attacks this year on Zapatista-identified communities
and the February 1995, attempt by the military to capture Zapatista leaders at
a similar meeting underlie those tensions.

At the same time, though, hopes are high because these meetings offer another
opportunity to break the communication deadlock between the government and the
Zapatistas on the conflict and to raise in new ways the
economic and political issues facing the nation.