Mexico City - A crackdown by Mexican immigration authorities on foreign observers in the southern state of Chiapas has led to accusations of a government campaign of "xenophobia" and of attempts to cover up the "low-intensity warfare" being waged against pro-Zapatista communities.
In the past 10 days, three US citizens have been expelled from the country in separate incidents on the grounds that they were violating the terms of their tourist visas. A further dozen foreigners are reported to be at imminent risk of expulsion. The latest deportee, the former leader of the Pastors for Peace group, Mr Tom Hansen, was accused of having acted as an observer at peace talks between the government and the Zapatista guerrillas, and at a 1996 rally against neo-liberalism.