The Zapatista Army of National Liberation again has found massive public support for its demands. It marched toward the capital on Sunday, intent on pushing for constitutional reform for the country's 10 million indigenous. The rebels, who rose up in 1994 and have been negotiating with the Mexican government since, were led by Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos.
``Mexico, we have come humbly to ask with respect that you don't allow another day to rise without our flag having a place for us, those that are the color of the Earth,'' Marcos said to a crowd of more than 200,000 people gathered in Mexico City's central plaza.
Zapatista rebel leader Subcomandante Marcos speaks to students during a rally in National Politecnic Institute (I.P.N) in Mexico City on March 16, 2001. Marcos, who arrived in Mexico City last week with 23 other rebel commanders after travelling throughout Mexico to gather support for the indigenous cause, rejected the first proposal for dialogue from Mexico's Congress considering it to be to almost an insult. Marcos also rejected an offer by President Vincente Fox to talk, saying he had come to speak to and before Congress, not to him. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
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I had never seen the plaza so full of people before. The Zócalo, as it is called, was teeming with elders, teenagers, entire families, all gathered under the intense sun to cheer support for the Zapatistas and indigenous rights. The crowd's reaction as the commanders walked onto the platform showed that the Zapatistas still symbolize hope for the Mexican people. A banner at the plaza resonated their message of inclusion: ``We are all Indians of the world,'' it read.
The rebel leader and 23 commanders left the state of Chiapas on Feb. 24 to march for Indian rights. They traveled through 12 southern and central states of Mexico before continuing to the capital.
The Zapatistas are trying to rally support for the Cocopa initiative, a legislative proposal that would grant Mexico's 56 indigenous groups specific rights, such as the right to elect tribal councils for local rule. The proposed bill, drafted in 1996, is based on the Peace Accords of San Andrés on Indigenous Rights and Culture and was signed months later by the Zapatistas and the Mexican government.
For the last five years, however, government officials have suspended peace dialogues by failing to discuss or seek congressional approval for the Cocopa initiative. This was due, in part, to the former Zedillo administration's neglect.
But Sunday's march for the indigenous took place under a different political climate. A mature civil society has become more active and has gained influence in the political arena.
Also, President Vicente Fox says that he will listen and incorporate citizens' demands in government decisions. In his inauguration speech, he promised to present the Cocopa initiative to Congress.
Whether this is political rhetoric or a sign of real change, the government's willingness to address these issues is a promising step forward.
However, key interests oppose approval of the law. As part of the recognition of indigenous self-determination, the constitutional changes would recognize the collective ownership of land and the communal use of natural resources. But the current economic model in Mexico, especially after the North American Free Trade Agreement, places individual and corporate property rights above everything else. Local and multinational companies are likely to put up a fight against this alternative way of organizing the economy.
What's more, many indigenous communities are geographically situated on territory rich in natural resources. The state of Chiapas, for example, has one of the highest levels of biodiversity, making its fauna of great interest to pharmaceutical companies. If the constitution is modified to recognize indigenous rights, then the law will protect these communities from corporate exploitation.
Sunday's March of Indigenous Dignity provided the political leverage needed to negotiate with the Mexican government. By demanding recognition of indigenous rights through peaceful public demonstration, the Zapatistas and their supporters are exercising ``mandar obedeciendo'' -- governing by obeying the will of the people, one of the Zapatista tenets.
But whether the Mexican Congress heeds the will of the people or bows to corporate interests remains to be seen.
Mariana Mora is a master's student at Stanford University. She spent four years working on microcredit programs for indigenous women in Chiapas.
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