Sir, - It was with great surprise that I read (The Irish Times, April 6th) that President Zedillo of Mexico is "a strong proponent of dialogue and patience". Is this the opinion of our own President, Mrs McAleese, or of your reporter? The ongoing war in Chiapas proves the opposite.
In 1996 President Zedillo rejected an all-party proposal to anchor peace agreements with the EZLN (Zapatistas) in the Mexican constitution. He has continued the war against the indigenous peoples of Chiapas and overseen the militarisation of that state as well as of Guerrero and Oaxaca. His government has expelled foreign human rights observers and arrogantly rejects Amnesty International's documentation of human rights violations by the federal army and police forces.
On March 21st the Zapatistas conducted an unofficial referendum in Mexico on the peace agreements and the war in Chiapas. Despite the poll being run entirely by volunteers, with no funding, three million people voted, of whom 95 per cent supported the COCOPA (all-party commission) proposals and demilitarisation of the state. The Mexican people undoubtedly agree with President McAleese that "the way forward is not through repression. Violence is not the answer." If we judge him by his deeds, not his words, President Zedillo is of a different opinion. - Yours, etc., Simon Jones, Irish Mexico Group,
Merrion Row, Dublin 2.