261 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
261 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
Zapatistas going to visit Mexico City
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Summary: The Zapatistas (EZLN) having pulled out of the
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peace talks with the Mexican government have declared
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their intention to travel from the jungle of Chiapas to
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Mexico City to have a national dialogue. In this event it
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is likely the state will try to arrest/kill the delegates
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as the peace treaty does not allow 'guarantee' their
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safety outside Chiapas.
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The documents below outline the reasons for pulling out of
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the peace talks and asks national and international 'civil
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society' to help protect the EZLN delegates from the
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government. Further details of the current Red Alert and
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background information about the rebellion in Chiapas can
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be found at http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/3102/
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*********** Text begins ***************
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Mexico City, September 24, 1996
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FOR A TRUE NATIONAL DIALOGUE WITH THE ZAPATISTAS IN MEXICO
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CITY!
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To national and international civic society; To the
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committees, collectives, organizations and solidarity
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groups with the Zapatista struggle; To the participants to
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the first Intercontinental Encounter for Humanity and
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against Neoliberalism:
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As is generaly known, last August 29th as a result of the
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consultation with its communities, the Indigenous
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Revolutionary Clandestine Committee-General Command of the
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Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) decided to
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suspend its participation in the Dialogue at San Andres
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Sacam'chen de los Pobres, in view of the fact that the
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government had made the dialogue into a farce.
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The principal reasons for the suspension of the dialogue
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were explained in a communique of the CCRI-CG of the EZLN
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on that date, of which we extract the following;
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In regards to the Dialogue at San Andres:
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In regards to Theme I, "Indigenous Rights and Culture":
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"The EZLN accepted the agreements with the objective of
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demonstrating to indigenous communities, the Mexican
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national and international public opinion, that the
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government does not want to solve in a profound way the
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national indigenous situation. The government manifests a
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disposition to do it, but in no way is it willing to
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radically modify the relation between the nation and
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indigenous Mexicans."
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" The Verification and Implementation Commission,
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fundamental base for the completion of the agreements
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continues to be non existent."
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In regards to Table 2, "Democracy and Justice": "During
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all the development of the so-called "Table 2 of Democracy
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and Justice" the government delegation based its
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negotiation strategy on intransigence and obstinacy.
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Committed to the failure of the negotiation of this theme,
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the government looks to reduce the table on Democracy and
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Justice, first to local questions, and then to abstract
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declarations...By ratifying its intransigence without even
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discussion of any fundamental themes of the political life
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of the country...the government ratified its actual
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politics in terms of indigenous people: omnipotence,
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racism and intolerance."
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In regards to the alleged Zapatista prisoners; "With the
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sentence to the alleged Zapatistas in Yanga [Veracruz, as
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well as prisoners in REclusorio Norte of Mexico City], the
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federal government insists upon treating the EZLN as
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though it were a band of delinquents which is being
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entertained at a negotiations process at the same time
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that it is being hit and that terror is seeded among all
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those who have anything to do with Zapatismo."
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In regards to the "state of law" in Chiapas; "In the
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northern part of the state, a de facto power which has
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nothing to do with a "state of legality" functions. It is
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not a power of the federal or state government, of the
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military, or of the EZLN; in the northern part of Chiapas
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the brutality of a civil war which can no longer remain
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hidden governs...the real governors of Chiapas (the
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military) follow their plans of annihilating not only
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Zapatistas, but any person who rebels and has dignity in
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these lands of the southeast...it has increased troop
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presence and its technical quality has improved as has the
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composition of its soldiers...The rumors of an imminent
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action against the Zapatistas are uncontrollable...as a
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response to the actions of the EPR."
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The Zapatistas have stated the minimal conditions
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necessary in order to return to the Dialogue to the
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government;
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-Until conditions exist which guarantee the will of the
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government for an inclusive, serious and political
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solution.
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-Liberation of all the alleged Zapatistas now imprisoned
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and of the Zapatista support bases which have been
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detained in the northern part of Chiapas.
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-A government delegation which has the capacity to make
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decisions and the political will to negotiate respectfully
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with the Zapatista delegation.
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-The installation of a Verification and Implementation
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Commission and the implementation of the first agreements
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made in the table of "Indigenous Rights and Culture".
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-Serious and concrete proposals of agreement for the table
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of "democracy and justice" and a commitment to achieve
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agreements with this theme.
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-An end to the climate of military and police persecution
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against the indigenous people of Chiapas and the
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disappearance of the white guards (or a law which gives
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them institutional recognition and uniforms so that they
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cannot operate with impunity).
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The response of the Mexican government to this action of
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Zapatismo, as well as to the increased expression of
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social discontent which spreads throught the nation, has
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been an increase in repressive measures of which the most
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salient and serious are; the militarization of large areas
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of the nation, the persecution and jailing of the leaders
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and political and social militants, and the closing of the
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spaces for dialogue and negotiation.
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In this context the efforts of different popular and
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democratic organizations develop in order to impede
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militarization and to avoid the imposition of war. In the
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next weeks, these efforts should focus upon two actions
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which will take place in Mexico City in which the presence
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of the EZLN should be won and guaranteed by all of us.
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>From October 8-12 the Indigenous National Congress will
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take place; among the organizers of this Congress is the
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EZLN; the right of a Zapatista delegation to attend in
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Mexico City should be respected by the government.
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Following the Congress in Mexico City as well there will
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be a National Dialogue for Peace in Mexico, in which it is
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expected all the political and social actors may
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participate in strengthening the political option in the
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struggle for peace in a transition to democracy which
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includes the Zapatistas.
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In order that the EZLN delegates may attend these events,
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international and national civic society should organize a
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peace cordon which will protect our Zapatista brothers and
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which will allow them to travel from their positions in
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the mountains of the jungle to the city of Mexico.
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Their travel to the capital of the country will begin on
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October 5th. Before, during and after their stay in
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Mexico City, there are various tasks and support which we
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will need in order to guarantee the security of the
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Zapatista delegation. Among the important ones are;
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-Public events and pronouncements of support as well as
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signature campaigns in support of a true national dialogue
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with the participation of the EZLN, in Mexico City (text
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is attached).
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-The presence of observers from national and international
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organizations during the trip of the EZLN delgation to
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Mexico City, during their stay in the city and their
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return to their communities.
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-Participation in the peace cordon which will surround and
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protect the Zapatista delegation at all times.
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-Financial support for the expenses of all these actions,
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through donations which can be deposited in account number
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6746497, Banamex, branch 0532, in the name of Miguel Angel
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Lopez Diaz.
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To register for the peace cordon and for more information
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about other ways of participating please call:
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The Special Promotion Commission of the Zapatista Front of
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National Liberation, Calle Zapotecos 7 bis, Colonia
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Obrera, CP 68000, Mexico, DF: Telephone and fax: 761 42
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36. <A
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HREF="mailto:flores@spin.com.mx">flores@spin.com.mx</a>.
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Home page: http://spin.com.mx/~floresu/FZLN/
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International Commission of the Special Promotional
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Commission of the FZLN: email: 74174.1671@compuserve.com.
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Telephone and fax: 606 14 34 and 515 85 25.
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Basic text for public declarations and signature
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campaigns:
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FOR A TRUE NATIONAL DIALOGUE, WE INVITE THE EZLN TO MEXICO
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CITY
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Under the slogan "Never a Mexico without us", the National
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Indigenous Congress will take place in Mexico City on
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October 8-12 of 1996. The organizers have already extended
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a public invitation to the Indigenous Revolutionary
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Clandestine Committee-General Command of the Zapatista
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Army of National Liberation in order that a delegation
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from the EZLN be present at the Congress.
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The organizations and people signed below manifest our
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support to the realization of the National Indigenous
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Congress and we inform national and international public
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opinion that we have already begun the tasks necessary to
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make possible the presence of an EZLN delgation in Mexico
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City.
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In view of the government simulation which caused the
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suspension of the Dialogue at San Andres and the worsening
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of the conflicts in Chiapas; before the absence of
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authentic and effective space for dialogue as means of
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solution for the problems of the country; before the
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continuity of a political economy which continues the
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militarization and the repression, while the transition to
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democracy is postponed and sabotaged, the presence of the
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Zapatista delegation will give an opportunity to reclaim
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the reflection which was initiated in the Special forum
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for the Reform of the State in San Cristobal de las Casas
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and begin a true National Dialogue in the capital of the
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country, with the participation of the principal social
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and political actors from all the corners of the country;
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it will signify a new opportunity to mobilize the
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conscience and the energy of civil society so it may open
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a different path to the militarization and the
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hopelessness in which Mexico is sinking, before it is too
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late.
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We call upon the Mexican government to listen to the
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demands for a true dialogue and to respect the guarantees
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of free transit established in the Mexican Constitution
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and in the Law of Concordance and Pacification.
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Above all we call upon social organizations, both civil
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and political, upon workers, farmers, indigenous people,
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housewives, students, intellectuals and artists, men and
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women, the old and the young, to support the National
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Indigenous Congress and to join the invitation to the EZLN
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to go to the city of Mexico and help with the task of the
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protection of its delegation.
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Translated by: National Center for Democracy, Liberty and
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Justice.
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--
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+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
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Find out about the Revolution in Mexico
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http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/3102/
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This summer 4,000 people from 43 countries met
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"for Humanity and against neoliberalism" there
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http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/3849/gatherdx.html
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