From June 8 to 11 many reactions followed the resignation of Bishop Samuel Ruiz García as head of the National Commission of Intermediation, and by the dissolution of that  organization.  Here we shall present some of these reactions which appeared in the local and national press, as well as statements by some of the most important actors in national life.  Reactions of all kinds, from those most in line with pro-government and cynical statements, to those which demonstrate a preoccupation with imminent war.  It will be some days before this discussion ends, regarding the causes and effects brought by this event, and what it will mean for the life of the country and for the peace process in Chiapas.

n      Under Secretary for Religious Affairs in the Department of Government:   "...Statements which are lacking in truth and that are tendentious;...absolutely false that there exists persecution against the Diocese;...what is certain is that when we have seen that Mr. Samuel Ruiz' actions were obstructing the peace process in the conflict in Chiapas, we have pointed it out;...The differences are over political issues.  They arise out of their having used methods and supported activities that enter into the political arena;...It is not acceptable that, under the pretext of defending indigenous communities...foreign participation is promoted;...the Mexican Government has not made any attacks on indigenous groups;...it is not true that the Mexican Army has occupied any churches;...nor that it seeks peace through violence;...we will continue by the path of dialogue and negotiation;...the Federal Government continues seeking the direct route to dialogue and negotiation with the EZLN..." 

n      - Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD):   "...it is serious and regrettable and does not necessarily have to lead to the disappearance of the Conai...to urge President Ernesto Zedillo  o sit down and talk with the EZLN, and also to extend his support to the Conai and the Cocopa...a result of a lack of understanding on the part of many individuals concerning Chiapas, but particularly of the pressures and harassment on the part of the government against them, for the purpose of undercutting the Bishop's effectiveness and detracting from his influence, in his constant search for dialogue and peace...it should not be used as a pretext for a military solution;...it is now up to all the parties to assume greater responsibility for the situation;...demand that the government demonstrate its willingness for a peaceful solution";..."...it does not help the peace process at all, because it demonstrates that government pressures have more weight  than does  an interest in bringing peace to the area;"..."they should reconsider their disintegration;...nothing is left but to seek international intervention;  without the Conai it will be very difficult to reestablish dialogue;  it strains the climate for peace -seeking,  and also, electorally, in the entire country..."

n       - Revolutionary Institutional Party (PRI):  the re-establishment of channels and mechanisms for direct communication between the federal government and the EZLN, is necessary;...personal grandstanding, unyielding positions, electoral strategies, silence, insults and discord, do not contribute to peace, and aggravate the socioeconomic condition of the indigenous communities..."

n      National Action Party (PAN):  "...a new opportunity to reestablish dialogue with the zapatistas, and to move forward in the peace process;...Samuel Ruiz will have to be replaced by someone capable of carrying out mediation work in an impartial manner;...nothing is lost with the  departure, nor will dialogue be interrupted, because for several months now there has been none;...a new opportunity to bring in a third party;...it worsens the situation of the conflict in Chiapas;...his pastoral work was always consistent...”

n       -  Ignacio Burgoa, jurist:   "...The Conai and the carabine are the same," since we are dealing with a useless body, created with good intentions, but inefficient..."

n       - Raúl Plascencia, jurist:   "...intermediation commissions cannot exist forever, because they hinder any possible solution;...the dissolution of the Conai was a very good thing, the Cocopa should also be allowed to die, because it has been demonstrated that intermediation bodies do not always yield results..."

n      - Commission of Concordance and Peace (COCOPA):   "...regrettable, the unexpected stance;...the peace process in this area will have, in one way or another, to pass through his hands, in his capacity as Bishop, and as moral authority in the indigenous region;...it now rests on the government's willingness, or lack of willingness, to move towards the peace process in that area, above all, because of the military strength it possesses;...a strong blow to the peace process, now that it leaves a huge vacuum, and an irreplaceable task that cannot be substituted by something like the COCOPA;... a risk that the current circumstances will favor a military strike against the zapatistas;...it is irreparable;...it leaves to one side one of the actors with the most possibilities of discussion with both parties to the conflict;...Don Samuel Ruiz' patience was stretched to the limit;...a gloomy future for Chiapas, where only time will tell how much Bishop Samuel Ruiz' decision, and that of the Conai itself, had to due with the systematic silence of the EZLN general  command;  we regret the disappearance of that intermediation at a particularly complicated moment in the peace process;...an indispensable body for a solution to the conflict based on dialogue and conciliation;  we respect the decision and recognize Bishop Samuel Ruiz and the  other members, for "their delicate work in favor of peace."

n      - Conference of the Mexican Episcopate (CEM):  Samuel Ruiz demonstrates a clear fidelity to his mission as Bishop and Pastor, and a great love for the indigenous and for peace; in addition, he recognizes the primary paths that must be followed in order to reach the goal of peace:  reconciliation, unity, diversified and inclusive participation and a search for justice;   last chapter of a stage in the dialogue and negotiation, which comes to an end;...a new history in the peace  process begins now, which must favor rapprochement;...mature and fruitful dialogue;...it is illusory to think that one single person can reach peace without the collaboration of the others;   in no way do we try or accept the discharge of the mediation function;...civil bodies, under whose  responsibility could fall, from here forward, the mediation..." (Press Statement, June 8, 1998).

n       - Papal Nuncio:   "...the statements...do not belong to the Papal representative to analyze;...the new chapter will favor convergence instead of divergence, dialogue instead of confrontations, collaboration instead of reciprocal accusations;...the Episcopal Conference and its Commission for Reconciliation and Peace in Chiapas.  These, without trying in any way to change into new mediating bodies, will certainly be open to all types of collaboration with civil bodies whose responsibility lie now and in the future, in mediation, if this were to become necessary, or direct contact between the Government of the Nation and the group which has risen up in arms..."   (Justo Mullor, Declaration of the Papal Nuncio,  June 8, 1998).

n       - 52 of the countries' social, civil, human rights', labor, etc., organizations:  "The disappearance of the CONAI is worrisome to us, a vital body for the peace process, since its work and commitment was always above any government attack, carrying out the mediation role;...the road which civil society must retake, now more than ever, its active participation as a national and international community, in order to reach the road to peace, not only in Chiapas, but in the entire country..."

n      Julio Hernández López (columnist for La Jornada):   "The real message, horrifyingly, which the dissolution of the Conai carries to the world, is highly dangerous, because it is now clear, like the gunfights in the Old West, that one of the gunfighters wants to be standing alone in the center of the town, without inconvenient witnesses, and with his fingers on the trigger of his pistol, waiting for the moment for the other person in this confrontation to appear, now with no other options."

n       - Tzotzil indigenous person from Los Altos:   "We are worried, now without intermediation, the  only thing left is to wait for the bullets."

n      Amnesty International for Latin America:  "One can evaluate this solely within the context of the continuous threats and attacks against Bishop Ruiz..."AI is concerned for the physical security of the bishop, and for the erosion of the conditions of civil society."

n      Secretary of the Navy, Jose Ramón Lorenzo Franco:   "It's on the right track, because by leaving to one side people who occasionally interfere, we can make giant steps towards bettering the conditions of life in those places."

n       Secretary for Social Development, Esteban Moctezuma:   "The alternative for the Chiapas conflict is for the entire country to be clearly conscience that social development requires a permanent compromise, as far as the creation of opportunities, of investment, of justice and of employment in the entire country, and where it is most required, such as the southeastern states, Chiapas in particular.   (Note:  he avoided responding to the issue).

n       - Government Coordinator for the Dialogue, Emilio Rabasa:   "It is not a triumph for the government.  Neither does it cause a deterioration in the outlook in Chiapas; the mediation model which the Conai followed is now sufficiently worn out;  the necessity for counting on a new legal framework for dialogue;  the Bishop was a key piece in the solution of the Chiapas conflict;  A very unfortunate circumstance, to say the least, the using of the pulpit for political statements and in regards a civil body.  The liturgy deserves the respect of everyone;  the Bishop hid from his parishioners the government's repeated efforts for dialogue;  the government never withdrew its recognition of the Conai;  it is an internal and autonomous decision, which was never discussed with the parties, who, in good faith, extended their recognition;  I reject that it will contaminate the COCOPA;  I reject mediation by an international body."

n       - Alberto Aziz Nassif, columnist for the daily, La Jornada:   "Another disaster for the peace  process in Chiapas;...the government devoted itself to striking at the Conai;...A government devoted to creating conflicts where there were none;...which systematically strikes against places which support negotiation;...it is, by all lights, a government which has lost its ability to govern."

n      Gonzalo Ituarte, former Technical Secretary of the Conai:   "A direct dialogue is not probable between the parties, so that in the future a national or international mediation will have to emerge, of some individual, or combination of representatives of both parties; it leaves a vacuum which calls out to everyone to reassume responsibility in the process;  a positive step because it implies a recognition of reality, and when this occurs one is grounded in the truth, in order to build new stages;...It formalizes what the government didn't want formalized, although it expressed it enough in its statements."

n      - Luis Hernández Navarro (Technical Secretary of the Commission for Monitoring and Verification - COSEVER):   "The dissolution of the Conai announces the end of one stage in the peace process;...it shows that the scheme for dialogue at San Andres has reached its end;  (Samuel Ruiz’) international political weight became an obligatory reference in the peace process;...indispensable figure for a solution to the conflict;....internationally, Samuel Ruiz has more recognition than ever.  The resignation is not, then, a result of his weakness;...The dissolution of the Conai cancels, in the short run, the possibility that national mediations can carry out an active role in the solution of the rebellion;...it increases the possibility that different international actors would play a role..."

n       - National Indigenous Conference (CNI):   "The disappearance of the Conai will only be productive if this event is transformed into the building of a broader, more active and more participatory social body, that kindles some hope for a halt to the strategy of war, and, by this logic, brings demonstrations across the entire country."

n      Zapatista Front of National Liberation (FZLN):  " the dissolution is the consequence of the government's offensive campaign."

n      Government of the State of Chiapas:  "It does not affect the negotiations between the EZLN and the federal government;  Bishop Samuel Ruiz carried out actions "with ends other than the finding of peace;"  the body has for some time stopped being a useful instrument for negotiation;...it is not true that the state government has left the road of dialogue, it has favored it;...there were no achievements, rapprochements nor improvements in relations, which could demonstrate the effectiveness of its intermediation for a solution to the conflict;...Bishop Samuel Ruiz' defense of the so-called Autonomous Municipalities is irrefutable proof of his bias and lack of knowledge of constitutional rules;...The government has not had nor does it have any strategy of war..."

n      Governor of the State of Chiapas, Roberto Albores Guillén:  We are closer to peace;...This body did not keep its composure or equilibrium;...the disappearance was a "secret out loud;"...the state government doesn't want any more intermediaries;  Samuel Ruiz made accusations that have no bearing on the truth;...there are no arrest warrants against priests;...if there were any, they were justified;...there is no instance in Chiapas where we were persecuting priests;...I deny that there was police intervention in Catholic churches, if they don't want to open churches in the communities, that's their decision..."

n      Coalition of Civil Resistance of the Chiapas Coast:   "this could set back the peace process which all chiapanecos are yearning for;...the Bishop was a key piece for the development of the dialogues..."

n      Confederation of Employers for the Republic of Mexico (COPARMEX):   "It was an act of good faith...now the Congress should pick up the difference of what's necessary to give continuity to the dialogue;...the Conai acted in a biased way, and it was a good moment for its disintegration;...Don Samuel was part of the solution by retiring from the Conai, because this will allow the federal government more freedom and a greater possibility to maneuver..."

n      National Fraternity of Christian Evangelical Churches (COFRATERNICE):   "the analytic  method implicit in liberation theology leads to revolutionary violence.  Because of this undeniable responsibility of the Diocese, the Conai should never have existed."

 - Diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, 200 pastoral agents:   "We understand that this step was necessary in order for us to reaffirm our commitment to the poor, to the indigenous, to justice, and to peace;...a moment in the peace process closes;...the persecution to which we have been subjected does not intimidate us, rather it invites us to be more consistent in our proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

"THE INSUPPORTABLE LIGHTNESS OF THE LAW:  IMPUNITY"

(excerpt, Part VIII)*

b)   collective punishments;

        The government maintains more than 40% of the Mexican Army deployed in various regions in Chiapas, stated the Bishop of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Samuel Ruiz García.          ( . . . )  an alert over what was called a "death threat" to the cultural identities of the indigenous peoples in Chiapas, for the "blight" represented by prostitution and other social problems which accompany the militarization process, which "will mark these communities for generations."  (García, M.;  La Jornada;  9/2/97;  p. 21)

        Everyday there are deaths, evictions, jailings, disappearances.  The majority of those have to do with us, with the zapatistas.  Those responsible for those deaths, evictions, disappearances and jailings are sometimes called "Peace and Justice," sometimes "Chinchulines," other times "Red Mask" or "MIRA,"  other times "State Public Security," other times "Judicial Police," a few times  the "Federal Army."

        But the names are the least of it, because those who act, those who finance, those who train, those who order, are the same.  And behind them is a power, that of the Mexican Government, and a decision:  total annihilation of everything that is suspected of Zapatismo.   (Subcomandante Marcos;  La Jornada;  11/29/97;  p. 7)

c)   the taking of hostages

        "The courage of the displaced is such that on January 3, the PRI authorities in Chenalhó kidnapped Manuel Ruiz Alonso, who was going with those from the food van that stopped in the municipal capital.  It had not appeared, and we asked that they bring him back living or dead.  He is a member of the Zapatista bases and was detained by the authorities who took him down from the van and they took him to the judge;  when he left three PRI members from Chimix took him.  Those are the paramilitary groups that the government should stop," says Luciano, representative of the Municipal Council of Polhó  (Gil Olmos, J.;   La Jornada;   1/10/98;   p. 11)

        "Let us make clear that the EZLN support bases, that make up The Voice of Cerro Hueco, continue to be imprisoned in various jails in the State, we continue in our status as hostages, of the state and of the paramilitary groups, we continue unjustly imprisoned."   (Mariscal, A.;   La Jornada;   1/17/98;   p. 11)

*Extract from the document, "The Insupportable Lightness of the Law:  Impunity;  Three Months from Acteal,"  from "Popular Alternative Communication, Working Group," of 4/11/98

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