78 lines
3.7 KiB
Plaintext
78 lines
3.7 KiB
Plaintext
Irish delegation visits Mexican rebels
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AS AN IRISH DELEGATION visits Mexico to better its
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knowledge of the struggle there and to express solidarity with
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the Zapatista EZLN rebels, Shane O'Curry of the Irish Mexico
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Group reminds us that the struggle continues.
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"As representatives from Ireland took part in celebrations on
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the second anniversary of the uprising in Chiapas, the EZLN
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went in for more talks with the government. Elected
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delegates from Zapatista communities have been
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participating in the 'National Dialogue'. This dialogue with
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the delegates was agreed to by the government after it failed
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to crush the uprising in February 1994.
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"The February offensive had proved too costly in terms of
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publicity because of the litany of human rights abuses
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committed by the federal army. The ruling elite, conscious of
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the damage this was doing to Mexico's image as an investor-
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friendly market, opted for the softly softly approach.
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"This is not to say that human rights abuses have stopped in
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Mexico. In October 1995 Cecilia Rodrigues, an American
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national working to co-ordinate international solidarity with
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the rebellion, was kidnapped and subjected to multiple rape.
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Despite a press conference subsequently held by her in the
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United States, this drew little attention from the world's
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press. This stresses the importance of public interest and
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agitation to stop the situation from sliding back into
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unrestrained repression.
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"Despite the repression the Zapatistas remain unequivocal in
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their opposition to NAFTA and the US dominated neo-
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liberal economic order. NAFTA, they remind us, is a death
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sentence for the poor and indigenous of Chiapas and all of
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Mexico. Opening the economic floodgates to US and
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Canadian capital will wash away what precious little land
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they have left.
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"The rebel army which draws its numbers from the very
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poorest is ill-equipped and receives no outside financial help.
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This is in sharp contrast to the 40,000 American-equipped
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federal troops still deployed in the region. But the Zapatistas
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have on their side the terrain and the support of their
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communities. They also have the support of the millions of
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Mexicans tired of electoral fraud, government corruption and
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of paying the price of the economic crisis created by the
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country's rich.
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"The Zapatistas' strength also lies in their absolute
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commitment to grassroots democracy. This is what allowed
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them to successfully and credibly hold a National
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Convention for Democracy (CND) in rebel-held territory last
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year. This was attended by thousands (the 'official' figure
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cited by spokesperson Marcos at his inaugural speech was
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"one fuck of a lot of people") representing peasants, trade
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unions, churches, Non-Governmental Organisations, and so
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on.
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"Although the Zapatistas' political programme calls for land,
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justice and democracy, at the CND they refrained from
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making political demands, preferring to let the forces
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attending the conference determine the agenda. This is in
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line with their stated belief that the revolution must be
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social, not one that can be determined alone by the outcome
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of an armed insurrection.
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"They share this anti-elitist view with Anarchists; not
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surprising perhaps considering the Zapatista tradition is
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influenced by the writings of Mexican Anarchist Ricardo
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Flores Magon. As an Anarchist he believed in the right of
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the oppressed to defend themselves and their gains through
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violence if necessary, but stressed the importance of the social
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revolution involving the participation of all, if real change is
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to be achieved. The Zapatistas' commitment to the will of
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the people may prove to be their only ace as they go in for
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this round of talks."
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