Brothers and sisters, Subcommander Marcos is speaking to you.
Through my voice speaks the voice of the Zapatista National Liberation Army.
Communiqué from the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee, General Command of the Zapatista National Liberation Army
México, February 17, 1995
To the people of México:
To the people and governments of the world:
To the national and international press:
Brothers and sisters, the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee, General Command of the Zapatista National Liberation Army declares the following:
First—The Federal Army continues to advance into the Lacandona Jungle. In its path the Federal Army is encountering many deserted villages, as the civilians prefer to flee to mountains rather than become victims of the arbitrary behavior of the soldiers.
In the communities, the Federal Army has been dedicated to destruction, robbing, plundering and pillaging. The civilians who have the unfortunate luck to fall into their hands are victims of torture and interrogations. In addition they are detained illegally, disappeared and some are assassinated.
Second—To the demonstrations of the disposition of the Zapatista National Liberation Army to seek a political solution to the conflict, the federal government responded with two-facedness. While it spoke of peace and dialogue, it prepared a brutal military attack. When the government had everything ready, it broke the dialogue and launched a military offensive in the Lacandona Jungle.
The government does not want a solution to the conflict. What it wants is to annihilate us. It tried to buy us, and it couldn't. Now it wants to destroy us, and it is failing again.
Third—Despite seeing itself betrayed and injured in this way, the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee, General Command of the Zapatista National Liberation Army, has ordered its troops to retreat to their positions in the mountains and to avoid armed conflict with the punitive expedition of the supreme government as much as possible. In this manner the Zapatista National Liberation Army ratified its will to dialogue, and directed itself to the civil society, both national and international, so that they could evaluate this real and truthful demonstration of the political will of the Zapatistas.
Fourth—Today by means of a radio transmission we have learned of the calls made by the legislative commission, made up of various members of political parties with the goal of making proposals for the renewal of negotiations.
The Zapatista National Liberation Army responds: The physical conditions for dialogue are not present. The Zapatista communities, along with the troops of the Zapatista National Liberation Army, have found refuge in the mountains. Whatever effort at communication and consensus, with regard to the dialogue, among the Zapatista bases, is impossible to carry out in the face of the government's aggression.
An indispensable requirement for beginning the dialogue again is the withdrawal of the Federal Army from the Lacandona Jungle; that they return to the positions they had on Feb. 8, 1995.
Fifth—The Zapatista National Liberation Army is not playing with two faces. Its will to dialogue is, and has always been, genuine, and there is a great deal of proof of this political disposition.
Today we confirm to the people of México that which has been stated since the 21st of February 1994 in the calls for dialogue for peace and reconciliation in Chiapas, which were carried out in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas.
We are willing to continue to seek a peaceful solution if it is with dignity and genuine.
Sixth—Today, despite our declaration, repeated many times, of our disposition to dialogue, the Federal Army continues cornering us. They are driving us into a dead-end alley of choosing to die or fight. We will fight if we are forced to. We will start a guerrilla war if we are not left any other option. We will talk if the dialogue that is offered us is with dignity and truthful.
Brothers and sisters, we only expect lies of humiliation and death from the supreme government.
From the national and international civil society we expect the opportunity to speak and to have a life with dignity. To live or die with dignity is again the only alternative for the Zapatistas.
The people of México and the international community have the floor; we are listening. Democracy! Freedom! Justice!
From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast
For the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee, General Command of the Zapatista National Liberation Army
Subcommander Marcos
México, February 1995
M. Ana María, C. David, C. Javier