Masked PRIs have been attacking, threatening and harassing Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) sympathizers in indigenous communities belonging to three Autonomous Municipalities in the Selva Lacandona, and they are traveling about armed on some area roads.
Representatives of rebel councils such as San Manuel, Ricardo Flores Magón and Francisco Gómez denounced that, over the last few weeks, in areas such as San Juan Cancuc, masked PRI groups have been recognized who are identifying themselves as EZLN sympathizers, holding sit-ins and attacking residents.
"They say they're zapatistas, but it's not true, the only thing they're looking for is to cause confrontations between the people and the zapatistas," notes Javier López and Cristóbal Rodríguez, representatives of the town of San Juan Cancuc. They stated that. in early November, some 50 masked PRIs held a demonstration in that community, attacked people and presented themselves as members of the EZLN.
According to representatives of the Ricardo Flores Magón municipality, masked PRIs have attacked EZLN sympathizers, and they recalled that the attack last week against Jerónimo Gomez Méndez, in the San Jerónimo Tulijá ejido, municipality of Chilón, was perpetrated by these groups of armed PRIs who have been appearing in some areas of the Selva Lacandona.
Meanwhile, campesino organizations, such as UNORCA and ARIC-Independent, stated that an atmosphere of uncertainty exists in Chiapas every day because of the actions of paramilitary groups and the massive presence of soldiers. They demanded an end to state police operations in the conflict zone, the withdrawal of the military and an in-depth investigation into armed groups operating in Chiapas.
The representatives of the Autonomous Municipalities also stated that armed groups have been destroying houses and communal sites in Los Altos of Chiapas, that they are using firearms and that they are getting institutional help for their actions of harassment against opposition communities in the Selva Lacandona.
The zapatista Autonomous Municipalities Magdalena de la Paz, Francisco Gómez, San Manuel and Tierra y Libertad have said that overflights and patrols are increasing in the Selva and Los Altos regions of Chiapas, primarily in EZLN sympathizer communities.
Authorities from the Francisco Gómez Autonomous Municipalities are asking for the presence of observers in the area, in order to prevent an attack by paramilitaries or by the Army itself. Representatives from the San Manuel municipality confirmed that Air Force helicopters are keeping up overflights in the communities of the Canada of Las Tazas.
Originally published in Spanish by La Jornada _____________________ Translated by irlandesa La Jornada Wednesday, November 17, 1999.