Subcommandante Marcos, Two-week trek draws to a close
Zapatista rebel leader, Subcommandante Marcos, has made a triumphant entry to Mexico City's main square at the end of his journey through the country to rally support for Indian rights. Marcos, who led an Indian uprising in the state of Chiapas in 1994, left his jungle stronghold 15 days ago to lead a caravan of rebel commanders and supporters through 12 states to champion the rights of 10 million indigenous Mexicans. Organisers said that up to 200,000 people packed the square, but police estimated the turnout was much lower.
Since he left his jungle stronghold in Chiapas on 24 February, Marcos has adopted an ever-tougher tone toward the Government, ignoring overtures by President Vicente Fox. The 3,000-kilometer drive was aimed at boosting grassroots support for the Zapatista National Liberation Army, and lobbying for passage of an indigenous rights bill that notably would give a degree of autonomy to Mexican Indians.
Fox sent the bill to Congress within days of taking office in December and has also released dozens of political prisoners and closed several military bases, to pave the way for a resumption of peace talks. The talks collapsed in 1996, largely over failure to adopt the indigenous rights legislation based on the San Andres Accords reached at the negotiating table.
Fox himself has expressed support for the legislation, though several members of his conservative National Action Party oppose it, saying its recognition of special rights for a section of the population was anti-democratic and could lead to chaos.
