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TITLE: Obedience Leads. Pols and TV Stations Fail to Co-opt. Dignity Marches On |
AUTHOR: Al Giordano |
PUB: |
DATE: March 6, 2001 |
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For Francisco de la Cruz Mesino, age 35, Social Fighter from Atoyac de Alvarez, Guerrero, Assassinated by Paramilitaries last Thursday NEW ON SUNDAY NIGHT: Results from CNI in Nurío As the Zapatista Caravan rolled into Michoacán on Friday to begin three days of meetings with 5,000 members of the Indigenous National Congress, Mexican President Vicente Fox made a desparate grab for publicity. Fox, in a nationally televised address to "my indigenous brothers and sisters" waved a ribboned-cane in the air, announcing, "I have the bastón!" - the traditional cane of political-military leadership that dozens of indigenous communities and ethnic groups along the caravan route had already presented to the Zapatista Command. Fox had followed in the footsteps of the EZLN Caravan by going to Oaxaca (the southern Mexican state that counts with a majority of indigenous citizens) and appearing at a photo op with representatives of one indigenous village who, in front of the cameras, presented him with "the cane of leadership." At the Indigenous National Congress in Nurío, Michoacán, Fox's publicity stunt drew laughter and ridicule. Reporter Miguel Reyes Razo of El Universal records one overheard conversation between indigenous leaders on Saturday at the Indigenous National Congress:"Did you see him?""Who?""Fox! Last night he was on TV with his cane of leadership. It was the funniest thing you could imagine. It was truly unbelievable: one of those canes that you can buy in any market!"In fact, the following indigenous ethnic groups have already lent their support, and scores of authentic bastónes de mando, delivered to the Zapatista command by the decisions of assemblies of their communities, elders and peoples, in the first seven days of the Caravan: Aguacateco, Amuzco, Cakchiquel, Chatino, Chichimeca, Chinanteco, Choho, Chol, Chontal, Chuj, Cochimi, Cora, Cucapá, Cuicateco, Guarijío, Huasteco, Huave, Huichol, Ixcateco, Ixil, Jacalteco, Pápago, Pima, Popoloca, Purépecha, Quiché, Serí, Solteco, Tacuate, Tarahumara, Tepehua, Tepehuan, Tlapaneco, Tojolobal, Kanjobal, Kekchí, Kikapú, Kiliwa, Kumiai, Lacandón, Mame, Matlatzinca, Maya, Mazahua, Mayo, Mixe, Mixteco, Motocintleco, Náhuatl, Ocuilteco, Opata, Otomí, Paipai, Pame, Papabuco, Totonaca, Triqui, Tzeltal, Tzotzil, Yaqui, Zapoteco and Zoque. Who's in charge here anyway? Obedience, as the Zapatistas say: Obedience leads. He and she who obey the people are the real leaders. Meanwhile, local mayors from Fox's National Action Party (PAN) in Chiapas and Tabasco erected wide screen TVs in public plazas to show the Televisa-Azteca "Concert for Peace" on Saturday night, an event that resulted banal and insignificant, guarded by 1,200 police officers, full of decibils and fury, signifying nothing. (The "big surprise" promised by concert promoters and ticket scalpers, rumored to be an appearance by Carlos Santana or some other major star, never occured.) And PAN governor of Morelos, a state that the Zapatista Caravan will enter on Tuesday, Sergio Estrada, told the press that "the Zapatistas are phonies." (This, on the heels of a PAN state legislator and ally of the governor, displaying his mental disturbances to the nation, challenging Marcos to a duel of six-guns during the Zapatista pass through Morelos). We look forward to hearing what canine nickname that Subcomandante Marcos will tag the rookie governor Estrada with when he tours through Cuernavaca and Tepoztlán, Morelos on Tuesday, and makes stops in the lands of Zapata near Cuautla, Morelos on Wednesday and Thursday. Marcos, who tagged the disgraced (now former) Chiapas governor Roberto Albores as "croquetas" (the word for "bones" that are fed to dogs), and who last week tagged Querétaro governor Ignacio Loyola - who had called for the death penalty for the Zapatistas - as "Firulaís" (a common pet dog name akin to "Fido" in English), still has a couple of days to come up with the nickname that, if past is prologue, will stick to Estrada like fleas for the rest of his political life. On the way to the Indigenous National Congress, the Zapatista made a brief stop in Pátzcuaro, Michoacan. Marcos and the comandantes were greeted as they stepped off the bus by the wives of two fishermen who were sentenced to 20 years in prison for opposing a federal ban on fishing in a lake that generations have fished. The case has received much publicity in Mexico, including a recent investigative story in El Universal. The women, in tears, gave Marcos a sombrero and pleaded: "Do something, Marcos!" The Subcomandante said, "While the grand narcos and fraudulent bankers walk free, Vicente Fox's government has put two innocent fishermen in prison. President Fox: How can you say that you have your arms open and the will to sign the peace if you hold two innocent men in prison?" At the Third Indigenous National Congress, the Zapatista Commanders spoke about their decision to hold this long march and meet with the indigenous peoples from across Mexico. This is the communiqué of Saturday, March 3rd, 2001: Originally published in Spanish by the EZLN END |