U.S. TAXPAYERS AND INVESTORS AND THE BLOOD OF
ACTEAL, CHIAPAS TAKE ACTION ON FEBRUARY 9, 1998 --
THE 3RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE MILITARY ASSAULT ON
REBEL COMMUNITIES IN CHIAPAS.
"While Chiapas, in our opinion, does not pose a fundamental threat to
Mexican political stability, it is perceived to be so by many in the
investment community. The government will need to eliminate the
Zapatistas to demonstrate their effective control of the national territory
and of security policy."
Mexico Political Update, January 13, 1995, Memo by Riordan Roett to
Chase Manhattan's Emerging Markets Group
"Investors appear to have been willing to take huge sums of money
belonging to clients who may not have fully understood what is at stake,
and to use those sums not just to bet on emerging markets but to leverage
governments into potentially disastrous policies because those policies
would maximize short-term profits. But when the bubble bursts at least in
part because of those policies, we find them expressing their 'expert'
judgment that the United States should come to the rescue."
Douglas Payne, New Republic, "How Investment Bankers Ruined
Mexico," March 13, 1995
Monday, February 9th will mark the third anniversary of the assault of the
Mexican military against Zapatista communities in Chiapas, Mexico. The
offensive came just days after President Clinton, by means of an Executive
order, expedited a $50 billion bailout package in order to stave off the
collapse of the Mexican economy and to protect increasing US financial
interests. The CIA assisted Mexican authorities in gathering intelligence to
develop the rationale for the arrest of EZLN leadership. Zedillo announced
the arrests which justified the penetration of many Zapatista villages during
a press conference. The timing of the infamous Chase Manhattan memo,
the US bailout and the February offensive against the Zapatistas began to
expose the very real connections that the US and its financial interests have
in maintaining "social and political stability" in Mexico. The stranglehold
began; the tanks rolled in, and terror and instability came with them. The
full year of self-governance which the Zapatistas had used to carry out such
"radical" measures as the "elimination of drug and alcohol use" and the
election of their own authorities came to an end with the military presence.
A destructive siege began to form a river of blood.
During the reign of interim governor Julio Cesar Ruiz Ferro from February
14, 1995 to January 7th 1998, more than 1,500 indigenous campesinos
were assassinated, an average of 15 per week. In just the highlands region
of Chiapas (including the municipalities of San Andres and Chenalho),
more than 800 people have now fallen victim to the paramilitary groups
supported by the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the
federal and state governments. (Joshua Paulson, *ZAPATISMO NEWS
UPDATE*--Special Report on the Massacre of Chenalho).
In a weekly news magazine Proceso, journalist Carlos Marin printed
excerpts from a Mexican Army document that lays out a government
strategy for the creation of paramilitary "self-defense" forces in Chiapas in
order to undermine the civilian support base for the EZLN. Yet in a
statement made by the Secretary of National Defense on January 21st,
Mexican General Enrique Cervantes Aguirre, clearly denies finding
evidence of any armed paramilitary group stating that "their existence is
one existing version". The Army is proceeding to enter Zapatista
communities in a search for weapons because, Aguirre says they will
"continue to apply the Firearms and Explosives Law without exception". .
The Law for Dialogue which provides for the disarmament of the EZLN as
a result of the negotiation process is again nullified .
At the same time a leader of an identified paramilitary group "Peace and
Justice" which issued at least 50 death threats before carrying out the
attempt on Bishop Samuel Ruiz's life holds a press conference claiming
they are neither armed nor a paramilitary group. Zedillo and his Foreign
Relations Minister denounce any "foreign intervention" in reaction to the
international outcry about the massacre.
"Intervention" does not appear to include the $60.2 billion of US
investment in Mexico, NAFTA or U.S. military assistance given under the
guise of the "war on drugs." Chillingly, this type of U.S. intervention
designed the destruction suffered by Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador.
U.S. military resources prop up brutal dictatorships, protect U.S.
investments and sustain counter-insurgency efforts. As one commentator
from MSNBC noted in reference to the massacre and continuing violence
in Chiapas, "the CIA has left its footprints-again allying itself with
questionable elements within a foreign country's military." ("Planning the
CIA's Next Secret War," Michael Moran, MSNBC)
The implication of all these facts are lost in the orchestrations of spin-
doctors. This is a war which follows the pattern of Guatemala where more
than 150,000 people lost their lives. All evidence signals that this pattern of
war will continue as far as its conductors are concerned.
Human lives are not numbers to be ciphered on an adding machine. The
many of us who are NOT in the conductors seat must continue to raise our
voices, and to organize our resources to put an end to this brutality.
JOIN US ON FEBRUARY 9TH, OF 1998 FOR A NATIONAL DAY OF
ACTION BY ORGANIZING A DEMONSTRATION IN THE
FINANCIAL DISTRICT IN YOUR CITY.
A list of the major U.S. banks and investment funds in Mexico follows this
call. Much research must be conducted in order to begin to exert public
pressure on those powerful institutions which are sponsoring this war.
We would like to ask for your help in designing a divestment campaign.
On February 9th begin by asking your banks and investment brokers to
publicly disclose all investments they currently hold in Mexican stocks and
debt instruments. Ask your churches, unions and other institutional
investors to review their portfolios, and to publicly disclose all investments
they currently hold in Mexican stocks and debt instruments.
We are in the process of identifying key Mexican oligarchs close to the PRI
who will be most vulnerable to economic pressure. We will be providing
information as it develops.
Please contact the NCDM at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or at
5902 Monterey Rd., #194
Los Angeles, CA 90042
Phone: 213-254-9550
Toll free:1-800-405-7770
Fax: 213-254-9597
Several of the United States' banks, security firms and financial groups now
operate in Mexico's financial market, including:
Citibank
JP Morgan
Chase
Chemical Bank of America
Republic National Bank of New York
Nations Bank
Bank of Boston
First Chicago Bank
American Express Bank
Goldman Sachs
Bankers Trust
Merrill Lynch
Lehman Brothers
Morgan Stanley
Bear Stearns
Ford Credit
GE Capital
Caterpillar
Mutual funds based completely on Mexican stocks and bonds include:
Wright Equi-Funds Mexico
Mexico Fund
Mexico Equity and Income Fund
Emerging Mexico Fund
Others which invest in Mexico (ranked by amount of millions of dollars
invested in Mexico) as part of Latin American portfolios include:
Scudder 299 (based in Canada)
Fidelity 277
Merrill Lynch 232
T.Row Price 115
TCW/DW 101
GT 91
Morgan Stanley 54
Excelsior Emerging Americas 34
Templeton 11
BT Investments 8
Federated 8
Govett 2
Invesco 2
Ivy 1
