1996-10-24 Local Press - CHIAPAS
Article Index
CHIAPAS
Decisive Moment for EZLN
According to Sub-commander Marcos, the Zapatista Army for National Liberation (EZLN) is approaching a defining moment, since they have reached the "limit" of being an armed, clandestine force that "isn't fighting with arms nor is it politically engaged outside [of Chiapas]". Marcos announced that the government had made them an "offer" to allow them to participate in the 1997 mid-term elections through some sort of association (versus a political party). President Zedillo, he noted, "has recently come to understand" that a fundamental aspect of the conflict is the indigenous question on a national level. He said that Zedillo has recognized that there must be social and economic adjustments as well as adjustments in the relationship between the government and indigenous people, in order to resolve the problem. (La Jornada, 20 October).
Hope for Renewed Dialogue
After three days of talks with the EZLN in San Cristobal de las Casas, the Congressional Mediation Commission (Cocopa) went to Mexico City to "build consensus and definitive agreements with the Federal Government" with respect to establishing the conditions for renewing the peace talks. Cocopa said that there have been significant advances in resolving four of the five Zapatista conditions for re-initiating the dialogue. On the issue of the government delegation, Cocopa said that the EZLN isn't demanding the replacement of current delegates, but rather "a change in their attitude." Cocopa returned to San Cristobal on Monday, October 21 to continue the dialogue with the Zapatista delegation. (Reforma, 19 October).