Global Exchange had a Reality Tour visiting Chiapas in December of

1998 that received the following press attention. We thought it was

important for subscribers to be aware of the situation and our

response to it.

• Fray Bartolome Center Provokes Government,

  La Jornada, 29 December, 1998

• Interior Ministry Will Expel Foreign Activists,

  Cuarto Poder, 29 December, 1998

• So That They Explain Their Activities in Chiapas,

  Cuarto Poder, 30 December, 1998

• Global Exchange Response, 31 December, 1998

La Jornada

29 December 1998

The coordinator of the National Immigration Institute (INM), Alejandro

Carillo Castro, claimed that the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human

Rights Center, headed by Bishop Samuel Ruíz García, was

provoking [the government] by declaring that the immigration checks on

foreigners in Chiapas is a violation of their human rights. He warned

that inciting foreigners to break immigration laws is a crime that

could be punished with three years in prison.

The Interior Ministry official also said that so-called "revolutionary

tourism" of the kind offered by the U.S. organization Global Exchange, in

which foreign visitors arrive as part of a package to visit the Highlands

of Chiapas and celebrate the fifth anniversary of the appearance of the

Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN), would not be allowed.

He also explained that they will not tolerate, as happens in other

countries, that foreigners are invited to build or help to build schools in

Mexico, as has been the case in Oventic, Chiapas. He said that to argue

that the human rights of foreigners were being violated was a "provocation".

"I insist that a tourist agency visiting Chiapas is not breaking any laws,

but if the organization is making seditious visits with the pretext of

discovering the reality of the country and intervening in situations of a

political nature, that is prohibited, starting with article 33 of the

Constitution."

As for the work of the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center, he

signalled that the government is not against the fact that they defend

human rights, not just of Mexicans, but of any person whatsoever who visits

[Mexico]. But "what we consider to be inappropriate is that human rights

defending is used as a pretext to invite people to break Mexican laws," he

warned.

Cuarto Poder

29 December 1998

The National Immigration Institute (INM) affirmed today that the government

will be vigilent about enforcing the law in fulfillment of article 33 of

the Constitution [which gives the President of the Republic the power to

expel any foreigner that he consider "inconvenient" without a prior hearing

for "meddling in the internal politics of the country"] as a response to

the invitation of foreign organizations like Global Exchange to carry out

"a revolutionary tourism" in the conflict areas of Chiapas.

"The INM will be vigilantly enforcing the law, with full respect for human

rights, but also for national sovereignty," said the head of the

immigration service, Alejandro Carrillo Castro. He also added that they

would not be employing any additional mechanisms in relation to the fifth

anniversary of the appearance of the EZLN, although he he said that they

had detected some 250 foreign observers.

In relation to the invitation of foreign organizations like Global Exchange

to carry out "revolutionary tourism" in the conflict areas of Chiapas,

Carrillo Castro affirmed that the government would apply the law in order

to enforce article 33 of the Constitution.

These kinds of activities, he said, "are mere acts of provocation so that

when the laws are enforced they can start to shout that the human rights of

tourists are being violated".

"Is the government ready to apply article 33 in Chiapas?"

"Well, not only are we ready, but we've been applying the law any time that

it's been necessary."

Cuarto Poder

30 December, 1998

Foreign citizens from the New Year [reality tour] in Chiapas organized by

the NGO Global Exchange will be cited to explain their activities in

Chiapas before the National Immigration Institute (INM).

Sources close to the INM made it known that this federal institution has

decided to control the flow of foreigners to prevent them from carrying out

activities that are not authorized by their visa.

According the same source, the above is to take place because the North

American organization Global Exchange has offered an $800 package by

internet to attend the fifth anniversary of the public appearance of the

EZLN in Zapatista support base communities.

The purpose of the citations given out by the immigration authorities is so

that the foreigners can declare the activities that they have planned to

carry out. The documents will be given to them when they cross an

immigration checkpoint.

The 14 foreigners, who entered the country on tourist visas so that they

could spend seven days in Chiapas, should carry out cultural and

recreational activities and should not get involved in any of a political

nature, as indicated in the INM rules.

[The article then lists the names of each and every one of the tour

participants.]

All of the above responded to the package offered by Global Exchange, which

included transport from Mexico City to Chiapas and from there to the

villages where there is a rebel Zapatista Army presence.

Global Exchange is unable to defend itself against the recent media

attacks (which have been diffused by local radio, national television

and several of the main national newspapers) as the INM has prohibited

foreign nationals from communicating with the Mexican media, arguing

that this is a political activity that contravenes article 33 of the

Constitution.

In reference to the recent media attacks to which Global Exchange and the

participants of its current reality tour have been subjected, we would like

to clarify the following points:

1. We deeply regret the aggressive attitude adopted by the INM in

   relation to our current reality tour to Chiapas. According to the

   Mexican Constitution and General Population Law we cannot find any

   reason why tourists should not be able to visit indigenous communities

   in Chiapas.

2. The INM has threatened to apply article 33 of the Mexican

   Political Constitution in the event that our tour visits an indigenous

   community where the fifth anniversary of the public appearance of the

   EZLN will be celebrated on January 1st. Article 33 stipulates the

   following:

   "All persons who do not comply by the qualities established by Article 30

   are foreigners. They have the right to the guarantees instituted by Chapter

   I, Title I, of this Constitution, but the Executive Office of the Union

   will have the exclusive power to remove from national territory,

   immediately and with no need of a hearing, any foreigner whose permanence

   the Executive judges unconvenient.

   Foreigners shall not, in any way, meddle in the political affairs of the

   country."

   We do not understand why the INM and the federal government insist on

   considering cultural and educational visits to indigenous communities by

   foreigners as "meddling in the political affairs of the country." The

   non-profit reality tours of Global Exchange are not organized so that

   foreign citizens can vote, promote a particular political party, or seek

   public office while in Mexico, for these are the exclusive political rights

   of Mexican citizens. The purpose of our tours is rather to give

   participants the opportunity to observe at first hand the cultural and

   social life of indigenous communities.

   This activity is fully permitted by Article 1 of the Mexican Constitution

   which guarantees foreigners the same fundamental rights as Mexicans,

   including freedom of movement, freedom of association, and freedom of

   expression. These rights are applicable to all people, regardless of

   nationality, sex, race, creed or any other individual or collective

   characteristic. According to Article 2, any individual, by the simple fact

   of entering Mexican territory, is protected by these constitutional rights.

   Furthermore, the federal government reserves the right to expel any

   foreigner whom it considers to be "inconvenient." We therefore ask

   ourselves for whom the presence of foreigners in indigenous communities is

   considered "inconvenient" - for the federal government or for the

   indigenous communities?

3. In recent days the INM harrassed foreigners who attended the

   commemorative mass for the massacre of 45 indigenous people at Acteal

   on December 22, 1997. Various of the more than 70 foreigners who

   visited the community were given citations to appear before the INM

   office in San Cristobal de las Casas. We ask ourselves if attending a

   commemorative mass, which is essentially a humanitarian and religious

   act, is also considered "political meddling" by the Mexican

   authorities?

Global Exchange Reality Tours