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Salazar's planned anti-poverty program aims to bring microindustry to Indians in rural Chiapas to reduce their dependence on agriculture. He wants to increase educational options for peasants and develop sports programs to keep children away from drugs. But, Sterk says, the programs can't get off the ground because Chiapas's PRI-controlled legislature refuses to approve his budget.

Zapatista Agenda
Although Subcomandante Marcos, the Zapatisa leader, is pressing the nation's congress for indigenous rights, evangelicals in Chiapas say the rebels often bring conflict to their tribal villages. Díaz Díaz, a Tzotzil and a Presbyterian from Huixtán County in Chiapas, says trouble began there soon after the Zapatistas rose to prominence in 1994.

"The Zapatistas took over lands in the village areas" in the Huixtán towns of Adolfo López Mateos and San Gregorio, says Díaz Díaz. "Anybody who didn't want to join either left or was forced out."

Zapatistas and their sympathizers expelled many evangelicals, who relocated in squatter communities outside San Cristobal, about 12 miles west of Huixtán. Díaz Díaz says this happened in many other towns around Mexico's embattled southernmost state. "Zapatistas invaded people's lands and still have them," he said.

That's one reason why Díaz Díaz is wary of Marcos and his much-publicized "Zapatour," the two-week caravan of two dozen Zapatista leaders and hundreds of national and foreign supporters through 12 Mexican states. The caravan ended March 12 in Mexico City's main plaza. Marcos and the Zapatistas are lobbying Mexico's congress to pass an Indian-rights bill that would help them preserve indigenous cultures, languages, and lands for the 9 million Indians of Chiapas.

Marcos, who is not an Indian, invoked Indian rights seven years ago as he led his band of leftist rebels in an armed uprising. The rebels briefly took control of San Cristobal before retreating to their mountain base. Some 150 people were killed during the 12-day uprising.

Since then, the rebels have sought followers among the indigenous people of Chiapas, as well as among foreigners who sympathize with the cause. Many Indian communities have divided over Zapatista doctrine.

Landmark changes in Mexican politics have already stolen much of Marcos's thunder. PRI lost Mexico's presidency in 2000 after 71 years in power. Denouncing PRI was central to the Marcos platform. He rallied support by playing on discontent with the long-governing party that had marginalized and refused to give voice and vote to indigenous Chiapans.

In contrast to former President Ernesto Zedillo of PRI, President Vicente Fox of the rightist National Action Party has made special efforts to win over the rebels. He has released jailed Zapatistas, closed four of seven military bases near Zapatista communities, and is pushing Congress to pass the rights bill.

Although more than 30 percent of indigenous Chiapans are evangelicals, CEDECH lawyer Sergio Natarén says the Zapatista platform doesn't mention the issue most important to indigenous evangelicals: religious persecution.

"First we have to stop the expulsions by Catholic traditionalists of our evangelical brothers," Natarén said. "These [Zapatista] petitions could benefit the brothers, but only if equality exists among the indigenous people."

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May 21 2001, Vol. 45, No. 7