April 7, 1999

An operation by more than 300 Public Security agents this morning evicted the Municipal Presidency of San Andres, which had been occupied for more than four years by authorities elected by Zapatista Army of National Liberation communities and sympathizers who make up the Autonomous Municipal Council.

Following the police action - which took place without major incidents and without anyone being detained - PRI Marco Diaz Nunez took over as Constitutional President in front of public notary Fernando Reyes Cortes and the Secretary for Indigenous Peoples, Gustavo Moscoso Zenteno.

The police surrounded the site at 8 AM today, accompanied by some PRI indigenous. Only one watchman was inside the Municipal President's facilities, and he offered no resistance to the actions of the Public Security police. All belongings, paper work, office materials, files and 4 vehicles belonging to the Autonomous Council were siezed.

The community, which was the seat of the dialogue between the EZLN and the Federal Government from April 20, 1995 until August of 1996 is now under strict surveillance by Public Security police

There is widespread fear in all the Autonomous Municipalities in Chiapas that new operations will be carried out against them.

This is the fourth attempt by the State government to dismantle the organization of the rebel communities through their Autonomous Municipalities. The first occurred in the community of Taniperla, Flores Magon Autonomous Municipality, in April of 1998; followed by the Tierra y Libertad municipality on the first of May of 1998, and, in June of the same year, there was a military-police incursion against the San Juan de la Libertad municipality, which left 8 indigenous assassinated.

CIVIL OBSERVATION CARAVAN
ENLACE CIVIL A.C.

Calle Ignacio Allende 4
29200 San Cristobal de Las Casas
Chiapas, Mexico
Telephone and Fax: 52-967-82104
Email: enlacecivil@laneta.apc.org