August 15, 1999

Mexican Army Captures Zapatista Town

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Originally published in Spanish by La Jornada
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Translated by irlandesa

La Jornada
Sunday, August 15, 1999.

The Military Presence Grows in Area of Zapatista Influence, Marcos: At Our Backs, New Military Position

Elio Henriquez, correspondent.
La Realidad, Chiapas
August 14.

Subcomandante Marcos reported that between 400 and 500 heavily armed Mexican Army soldiers - of which 300 came down in parachutes - "captured" the town of Amador Hernandez, located just at the entrance to the Montes Azules biosphere reserve, close to this area, where the rebel leadership lives. This means, he said, "a new military position at our backs."

Simultaneously today, military overflights increased, as did checkpoints and patrols along the stretch of highway from Guadalupe Tepeyac and San Quintin, along whose length is this community of La Realidad, where the National Encuentro in Defense of the Cultural Heritage has been being held since last Thursday.

During impromptu statements and private meetings with participants in the encuentro, Marcos explained that, above the Amador Hernandez valley - which is a two hour drive, or six hours on foot, from here - sits the oil reserve, "the largest in the world, and, even though the Mexican government hasn't made it public, the North American government already knows."

"The war the Mexican government is carrying out against us has as its objective this oil stratum, as well as the oilfields in the sierra of Corralchen, in the Montes Azules reserve, and in the sierra of Santa Cruz," the guerrilla leader said to a group of persons attending the encuentro, who formed a 30 person committee that left this morning for Amador Hernandez, in order to learn about the situation in greater detail.

The Subcomandante noted that last Thursday - the day the encuentro opened with 400 persons gathered here - "A column of approximately 100 soldiers set off towards the Amador Hernandez community, and the EZLN support base companeros, along with members of the ARIC Independent and Democratic - went out to tell them to leave, that they didn't want them there."

In response, he went on, yesterday, Friday, "throughout the entire morning and on (18 hours) air transportation troops were landing. Troops numbering between approximately 400 and 500 are capturing the Amador Hernandez town, and, as you know, a new position, now at our backs."

The working tables of the meeting had been going on normally, but suddenly, in the afternoon, Marcos arrived at the Aguascalientes in order to announce to the participants what had been happening in Amador Hernandez. At that moment, Comandante Tacho appeared at the ejidal house there, where some reporters were gathered, in order to invite them to go and listen to the Subcomandante, who was getting ready to finish up.

At the end, he responded to a reporter's question, and went into detail, reporting that the military troops came into Amador Hernandez in 14 helicopters from the barracks located at San Quintin e Ibarra. " At this very moment, they are digging in and putting up barbed wire around the position they've occupied," he went on, and then left.

That same night, a committee of 30 persons was formed - including actress Ofelia Medina, with whom the Sup met at least twice last night and early this morning - that will leave early today for Amador Hernandez, where they plan to set up a civil observation camp. There are plans for another group to visit tomorrow, in order to reinforce the initiative.

Marcos appeared worried while making the denuncia, and he had even increased his guards from the night before, when he had come out to participate in the opening of the encuentro. The atmosphere felt tense.

The guerrilla leader remained mounted on his horse, under a ceiba next to the river, pensive and surrounded by some 12 armed horsemen, while the members of the observation committee arrived. "Don't come close, move back," he asked the reporters several times.

After the brief meeting, when it was already growing dark, he and all his guards got back on their horses once more, and, under heavy rains, they disappeared into the mountains.

During his talk with members of the observation committee, the rebel chief reiterated that this, and other actions by the Army over the last few days "are a new retaliation by the government for the support we are giving the student movement (of the National Autonomous University of Mexico), and, it is evidently a response to your being here."

Residents of La Realidad reported that the number of military vehicles crossing through this community has doubled since last week. Yesterday and today, for example, almost 25 units passed through, going and coming.

Similarly, a helicopter was making several flights, at low altitude, over this location, and an airplane, also military, passed by several times. And, between yesterday and today, two new checkpoints were set up on the highway that connects Las Margaritas with La Realidad, "in order to enforce the General Firearms and Explosives Law."

Meanwhile, the working tables of the encuentro will continue their work today, and the closing ceremony is scheduled for 8 PM. The participants, however, had planned to leave this Sunday morning.

The participants at the meeting repudiated "the militarist strategy of the Mexican government, that is invading the town of Amador Hernandez."

In a communique, they said: "By responding militarily to the actions by the EZLN, who have openly declared their support for the university strike, for the struggle for the defense of the electric industry and their opposiiton to the privatization of the cultural heritage, Ernesto Zedillo's government is once again putting at risk the fragile peace in our country, by taking up positions in a strategic area of the most important oil reserve in Mexico and in the world."

At the same time they called on civil society to "support and give continuity" to the observation camp that is being set up at Amador Hernandez.

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