And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: This message is forwarded to you as a service of Zapatistas Online. Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 13:04:39 -0800 Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Commandante Null <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Multiple recipients of list <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Mexico wants Chiapas under wraps during pope visit Mexico wants Chiapas under wraps during pope visit 03:15 p.m Jan 12, 1999 Eastern By Michael Christie MEXICO CITY, Jan 12 (Reuters) - When Pope John Paul II visits Mexico later this month, the government will be seeking to keep its five-year conflict with Zapatista Indian rebels in Chiapas under wraps as much as possible. The Jan. 22-26 visit will be the pontiff's first to Mexico since the Zapatistas launched their uprising on New Year's Day 1994, and protagonists on both sides will be alert to any mention of the insurgency by the head of the Roman Catholic Church. ``The pope's visit is marginal to the peace process and we are not expecting him to intervene,'' the government's chief peace negotiator, Emilio Rabasa Gamboa, told Reuters. ``Of course, every time the pope visits with his concern for human beings, for the poorest, that certainly contributes.'' But political analysts say that the government, with its head-in-the-sand approach, may be missing out on the final opportunity to resolve the standoff before the new millennium. Tuesday marked the fifth anniversary of a government ceasefire in the poor southern state after 12 days of fighting between the Zapatista National Liberation Army and the military, in which some 150 people died. Peace talks stalled in 1996 and efforts to revive them have failed, leading to ongoing violence between government allies and Zapatista supporters, including 45 Indians massacred by pro-government paramilitaries in December 1997. With tensions still high, analysts said the pope's visit could be President Ernesto Zedillo's last chance to get the peace process rolling again before his term ends in December 2000. ``It isn't just an opportunity. It is the final opportunity,'' said historian Jan de Vos. The Catholic Church's role in Chiapas is complex. Traditional strands of the Church, supported by the pope, are at odds with the openly pro-Indian stance of San Cristobal de las Casas Bishop Samuel Ruiz, one of the pillars in Mexico of ``liberation theology,'' promoting social justice. On Pope John Paul's last visit to Mexico in 1993, just before the Zapatista revolt, Ruiz caused a stir by sending him a missive entitled ``A Pastoral Letter,'' outlining the woes of the poor indigenous communities in Chiapas. Analysts said Ruiz was expected to perform an encore in 1999. At the same time, government figures show the Catholic Church faces a stiff fight for souls in Chiapas where evangelical and Protestant movements are on the verge of turning it into the Mexican state with the most non-Catholics. On the national level, any intervention by the Catholic Church in the conflict would be certain to stir up old mistrust between the secular and religious authorities. In the 1920s, the Mexican government enforced the separation of church and state. Priests were not allowed to wear robes in the streets and some were even killed. Diplomatic relations with the Vatican were only restored in 1992. ``I don't think the pope will make a direct reference to Chiapas. We would view it with sympathy if he mentioned the subject but any criticism would be inappropriate,'' said Alain Arias Marin, an official with the Interior Ministry. Yet the Church continues to exert enormous influence on Mexicans and political analysts said no lasting peace would be achieved in Chiapas without its participation. ``The Church is crucial to any mediation, to the peace process as a whole,'' said Neil Harvey, associate professor of government at New Mexico State University. ``The pope's visit creates an opportunity in the next few months to restart the peace process if the government really wants a solution. And there's not a lot of time left before it really gets out of control.'' Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication and redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. NPC Information Associates [EMAIL PROTECTED] 770-457-6758 "Intelligence for the Underdog!" -- To unsubscribe from this list send a message containing the words unsubscribe chiapas95 to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Previous messages are available from http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html or gopher://eco.utexas.edu. <<<<=-=-=FREE LEONARD PELTIER=-=-=>>>> If you think you are too small to make a difference; try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito.... African Proverb <<<<=-=http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ =-=>>>> IF it says: "PASS THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW...." Please Check it before you send it at: http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/library/blhoax.htm
