An Interview with Comandante David, a Tzotzil Member of the Zapatista Delegation to Mexico City, 2001

Abstract

Nicholas Higgins (*) On December 2, 2000, only one day into new presidency of Vicente Fox, Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) announced their intention to send a delegation to Mexico's capital city to seek ratification of law of indigenous rights and culture. In this way Zapatistas ensured that Mexican Indian conflict that has remained unresolved for seven years would stand at top of presidential agenda. They named this latest nonviolent rebel initiative the march for indigenous dignity. From very first, controversy, speculation, and concern surrounded proposed march. Although Zapatistas had sent delegates out to capital and even abroad in past, this was first time that a collective delegation of general command (the GG-CCRI) had left their rebel bases. In addition to this, inclusion of Subcomandante Marcos, who, at least theoretically, had not left his jungle hideout for some seventeen years, gave march an added profile, but one that also involved an added risk. Initially it appeared that security would be provided by International Red Gross (IRC). However, while Zapatistas made an official request for organization to participate, Mexican government did not. This failure of protocol on part of new Fox administration thus prevented involvement of IRC, leading Zapatistas to call upon members of national and international civil society to accompany them and act as their security. Although anonymous death threats were issued, in end Zapatista march, which began on February 25, passed off without any major security threat. Instead, Tutti Bianchi, from southern Italy, who were given task of protecting unarmed comandancia, found that their greatest challenge was to hold back thousands of enthusiastic well-wishers who sought personally to greet masked rebels as they made their way toward capital. Much like marches of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, to whom Zapatista initiative has been compared, as caravan passed from state to state support grew. By time delegation reached central square in Mexico City, two weeks after leaving southern state of Chiapas, such was popular backing that a crowd of more than two hundred thousand people turned out to greet them. In days that followed their arrival in capital, rebel delegation was hosted in south of city by staff and students of National School of Anthropology and History (ENAH). There they waited for news of whether or not they would be able to speak before Mexico's Congress of Union. On March 13, congress suggested rebel leadership meet with a subdelegation from congress and senate. The Zapatistas rejected this offer next day, demanding instead a historic opportunity to speak openly before whole congress. The interview printed below was conducted following day, March 15, with Comandante David, a Tzotzil Indian from highlands of Chiapas. David explains why Zapatistas undertook march and why they sought to speak before congress. Nicholas Higgins (NH): To begin, could you please tell me your rank and rank and role of your fellow companions that make up Zapatista delegation? Comandante David (CD): Those that are here are representatives of General Command of Revolutionary Indigenous Clandestine Committee [CG-CCRI] (1) of Zapatista Army of National Liberation. We do not work alone, however, and we share responsibility of CG-CCRI among many. We that are here are therefore only a delegation from general command formed of twenty-four members-that is twenty-three comandantes and one subcomandante. NH: Could you explain objectives of march and why comandancia have come to capital? CD: In first instance, well before we began this march of indigenous dignity as we call it, that is well before new President Vicente Fox began to announce so loudly his willingness to resolve problem of Chiapas by peaceful and political means, we wanted to express our recognition of new political situation in Mexico. …