GP Observers in Jungle of Chiapas

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>> A TEAM OF OBSERVERS FROM GREENPEACE ARRIVES TO THE JUNGLE OF


                    ************************
                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
                    ************************
 
>> A TEAM OF OBSERVERS FROM GREENPEACE ARRIVES TO THE JUNGLE OF
CHIAPAS
 
MEXICO, March 6, 1995 (GP) An international delegation of the
environmental organization Greenpeace arrived yesterday in San
Cristobal de las Casas, in the Chiapas state, determined to
observe and document the impact of the Mexican federal army
intervention against the Ejercito Zapatista de Liberaci*n
Nacional (EZLN) is having upon the indigenous population and on
the ecosystem of the Lacandona jungle.
The delegation is formed by the executive directors of the
Greenpeace offices in Spain (Xavier Pastor) USA (Barbara Dudley)
Canada (Jeanne Moffat) Latin America (Beatriz Heredia) Mexico
(Rafael Gonzalez).
 
The members of Greenpeace arrived to Tuxtla, Chiapas capital
city, yesterday morning, and had an interview with the 
government
delegate on this state, Heraclio Cepeda, expressing their deep
concern for the rise of violence against the indigenous
communities and the ecosystem which has been taking place since
the 9th of February when the federal army moved forward from
their former position  and invaded a number of peasants
settlements.
 
The indians, women and children among them, have been forced to
flee, hiding in the jungle for three weeks now where they are
surviving in a very precarious situation. They are out of food,
medicines, with adverse weather and under the constant threat of
a new march forward from the federal army.
 
Serious damages have occurred to the scarce properties that the
indian people were forced to abandon when they fled into the
jungle. Due to the harsh conditions, several cases of
malnutrition and sickness have already appeared.
 
Amnesty International have denounced the torture and
mistreatment of the indians by the federal army and a team of
Medecins sans frontiers haven't been allowed to assist the
indians.
 
The Greenpeace delegation afterwards moved to San Cristobal
de las Casas, where they had an interview on Thursday night with
the National committee for the mediation (CONAI), lead by the
bishop Samuel Ruiz, receiving precise information on the actual
state of the conflict. The meeting took place at the vicary of
San Cristobal, which is permanently guarded by dozens of indian
men, women and children, sleeping out in front of the church
since the vicary was attacked by hundreds of persons related with
the land and cattle ranch owners and the caciques of the region. 
 
In a press conference that took place late Thursday night, the
members of Greenpeace expressed their hope on the resolution
of the conflict by the pressure of international public
opinion and that this contributes to persuade the Mexican
government to solve the conflict without the use of the army.  
According to Xavier Pastor, spokesperson for Greenpeace, "The
Mexican government must retake the dialogue and the calm that it
showed during 1994 that gave an exemplary lesson of how a
conflict must be resolved. The burst out of an open war with the 
Zapatistas will cause nothing but an increase of the suffering of
every part involved in it an aggression to the valuable
ecosystems of the area and will damage the image of the Mexican
executive abroad. Besides, the use of violence won't solve the
problem which requires permanent solutions that allow the indians
to carry a safe life with dignity using the resources of the
jungle in a sustainable way."
 
The members of Greenpeace left Friday towards the zone of the
conflict on vehicles loaded with humanitarian aid. Their goal is
to enter into the  "selva Lacandona" to see on site the
conditions the indians are living and to document the impact that
the activities of the army are having on nature, especially in
the area Montes Azules, declared reserve of the Biosphere by the
Mexican Government and the Unesco.
 
The widow of Garcia Robles has joined the expedition. Garcia
Robles was a peace Nobel prize, and the promoter of the treaty of
Tlatelalco, which made most of Latin America a nuclear weapons
free zone.
  
Contact:
MEXICO CITY Rafael Gonzalez or Roberto Lopez, Greenpeace: (525)
659-4714 or 659-4768 SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, CHIAPAS.
Leonardo Gonzalez or Alejandro Calvillo Tels. (525)(967) 83548