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Re: Ejercito Mexicano y su papel en Chiapas




Just to clarify some points. I did not translate the article 
by Sergio Aguayo on the Mexican army in its entirety for 
reasons of space. I only quoted some passages. 

Nobody has denied that the army does continue to commit 
serious abuses against the civilian population. A passage of 
the article by Aguayo, which I omitted, says that: 

> "...Una actitud muy peligrosa, y bastante generalizada, es la de 
> polarizar la opinion sobre los zapatistas y el ejercito. Los 
> partidarios de uno y otro encuentran elementos para descalificarse 
> mutuamente imputando a uno de ellos la responsabilidad de cada
> ciclo de tensiones. Seria absurdo negarlos excesos que se han cometido, 
> pero es tambien irresponsable minimizar la mesura y el pragmatismo que 
> tambien han mostrado el zapatismo y el ejercito.'
[
[ "...A very dangerous and generalized attitude is to polarize 
[ opinions on the Zapatistas and the army. Supporters of each side 
[ are finding elements to disqualify the other by blaming it of every 
[ cycle of tension. It would be absurd to deny the excesses that have 
[ been committed, but it is also irresponsible to minimize the moderation, 
[ and pragmatism that the Zapatistas and the army have shown."
[

What Aguayo says, and I think he may be right on the point, is 
that after Tlaltelolco in 1968, the army has become increasingly 
wary of its use as a repressive instrument against society, 
and has made it known explicitly to the government, as 
the May 5 speech by the Secretary of Defense shows. It is 
this idea what is so radical because, if it is true, it means 
that the army may some day accept a democratic society. 

Although it is true that the army has created a state of 
terror in Chiapas, the present state of affairs can not 
be compared to the situation that prevailed in the sixties in Mexico. 
What we must ask ourselves is: "what has the left accomplished 
since then in terms of reducing the repressive powers of the state?" 
If the answer is "nothing", then it would be very hard to justify 
a continuation of any struggle. 

Vladimir Escalante Ramirez.




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