| Historian Lorenzo Meyer ventured that the government
launched a military and police offensive against the country's guerrilla
movements on a political gamble with very little consideration of the social
costs, in the hope of achieving the disappearance of the rebel groups before
the year 2000 elections.
The government believes that the armed groups operating in Guerrero "are going to surrender in a year," and in Chiapas the official policy of dismantling the so-called "autonomous" municipalities by force, and of expelling foreign observers, reduces the support of the indigenous communities for the EZLN. According to Meyer, despite the protests of human rights' groups, the government will continue moving forward with the police and military operations in order to disarm the towns created by the zapatistas. The historian submitted that he perceives a "tiredness" in society in respect to the situation in Chiapas, and, although the operation carried out by public forces two week ago in the community of El Bosque, in which eight indigenous were assassinated, provoked indignation, "the political cost" is still less than the gains, from the government perspective of putting an end to the subversive movement." "Ten Acteals" would be necessary "to maintain the same level of scandal in Mexico and abroad," Meyer stated. [UPI - Diario de Yucatan] |