In 1994 Mexico’s leaders entered into trade agreements with foreign interests (NAFTA) that at US insistence, made changes to their constitution that effectively ended Indian communal land right, making it possible for Foreign corporations to take Indian land and resources. The Maya rose up in rebellion to defend their land and their culture. This courageous act of resistance against a system that was sucking the life out of an already beleaguered population brought the wrath of the Mexican government on any community in Chiapas suspected of supporting the Zapatista rebels (EZLN). When President Zedillo tried to solve the “Chiapas problem” in February 1995 by launching a military attack, domestic and international criticism forced him to begin the pretense of negotiations. In February 1996 the San Andres Accords were agreed to and signed by President Zedillo. This agreement acknowledged the constitutional rights of the indigenous people, and in particular, their right to......
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Approximate Word Count: 2914
Approximate Pages: 12 (260 words per double-spaced page) |