[asia-apec 1723] Peter Rosset talks about the Zapitistas

[Anuradha Mittal]

San Francisco Chronicle
Sunday, January 28, 2001
NOTES FROM HERE AND THERE

by Lewis Dolinsky

On to Mexico City

Like the World Bank and the Zapatista rebels in Chiapas, Mexico, the 
Oakland organization Food First believes land reform is essential to 
alleviating poverty. Peter Rosset, co-director of Food First, is back 
briefly from Chiapas; he is spending two years telecommuting from the 
pleasant colonial town of San Cristobal. Its mestizo residents consider 
themselves the frontline between Western civilization and the barbarians 
(Mayans). Imagine the shock on Jan. 12, when 8,000 masked indigenous 
people (including rebels) marched into town, stayed four hours, then 
faded away.

Zapatistas have flair; Rosset thinks it is their media savvy, not their 
guns, that Mexican President Vicente Fox fears. He plans to govern, 
Clintonesque, with focus groups, polls and public relations - but the 
rebels are headed his way, threatening to steal the spotlight.

They say their executive committee of 24, including Subcommander Marcos, 
will leave Chiapas on Feb. 25, go through nine states and end up in 
Mexico City on March 6 to speak to Congress. By then, they may have an 
entourage of several hundred thousand.

The media credit Fox for meeting the Zapatistas more than halfway - 
freeing political prisoners, shutting some army bases that are near the 
rebels and removing military checkpoints. Rosset says many of the 
checkpoints were restored, soldiers get shuffled to another base in the 
area and most of the prisoners are still locked up. The 1996 accords 
between rebels and government were finally submitted to Congress last 
month, but Fox has not pushed for passage. Zapatistas say: Won't be 
fooled again.

Subcommander Marcos is widely known as the leader of the Zapatistas. 
Rosset says that although Marcos is the group's spokesman and military 
chief, its overall leader is Commander Tacho. Rosset describes Tacho as 
"very measured, strong and intelligent" but uncomfortable speaking 
Spanish. So the flamboyant Marcos, who is no Mayan, became the voice and 
masked face of the movement.

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Copyright 2001 SF Chronicle

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