Only centimeters divide the soldiers from the Mexican Federal Army -- amongst them the elite assault troops transported by helicopter--and the disarmed zapatistas, who screaming, repudiated the presence of the military in the indigenous zones of Chiapas; they called them "murderers, defenders of the bad government and repressor", they (the indigenous)* would touch their (the soldier's)* weapons and give them pats on the chin with a defiant expression: "little soldier".
The tensions rose when four Army and State government helicopters arrived, that transported an elite force with assault rifles R-15. It was in the afternoon when the tension reached it's climax and they came close to a confrontation.
-Shoot me at once. Even if you kill me, you too will die, said a tsotsil indigenous wearing a ski mask to a soldier who was visibly nervous.
A commission of zapatistas requested yelling for a general-who said had the last name Bautista-to pass the cordon to negotiate the troops exit. The general agreed and started a conversation with the protesters.
-We want you to leave this place. These are peasant lands and they live of them- said one of the indigenous that was part of the commission.
-We need orders in order to leave. I would like to leave right now. Understand that it's Sunday and it's a day that no one works-replied the general.
-We don't want for you to stay here in our lands, not a moment longer, you must leave, the people do not want for you to be here. The people are crying, you are invading the peasants parcels and they don't have anything to eat-affirmed the indigenous.
General Bautista assured them that the Army did not have intentions to remain indefinitely in San CAyetano and gave this textual reply:
-The thing is that some of our equipment got lost that will probably will not of use to the people and we came to look for it.
The indigenous only warned:
-If you don't leave, something else will happen.
Up to midnight on Sunday the military shield that protected the general remained in place and a few centimeters from them, the zapatista human shield remained, encircling the military, without any regard to the rain and the fog that started to invade the old military camp of San Cayetano.
Translation from La Jornada ZAPATISTAS WITHOUT ARMS AND SOLDIERS, FACE TO FACE IN LARRAINZAR JUAN BALBOA, REPORTING, SAN CAYETANO,CHIS., AUGUST 24* TRANSLATION BY SUSANA SARAVIA-UGARTE,N.A.P.* NUEVO AMANECER PRESS- NAP A PRESS DEDICATED TO HUMAN RIGHTS e-mail:amanecer@cyberspace.com NAP is an effort by civil society Mexico and USA Registered as a non profit corporation in the USA As a press service, we seek to serve human rights organizations with translations and distribution of human right alerts, news and reports. As a press, we also seek to inform and educate the public on issues of human rights. Our team works on a volunteer basis. Our expenses are covered by donations. *************************************************