TUXTLA GUTIERREZ—Pablo Salazar Mendiguchía, the candidate of the eight-party coalition called Alliance for Chiapas, won a historic victory on August 20 in the gubernatorial elections in the Mexican state of Chiapas. Salazar, who was backed by both the conservative National Action Party (PAN) and the left-center Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), defeated Sami David David of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), earning 53% of the vote to David’s 47%. A former PRI Senator from Chiapas, Salazar resigned from the Party in May 1999.
In many regions of the state—especially where the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) had established a presence—voting took place in a climate of fear. In the weeks before the elections, for example, human rights organizations reported that paramilitaries had threatened or attacked a number of indigenous communities.
In addition, PRI supporters were accused of buying votes and coercing voters across the state by manipulating public aid. The PRI-dominated State Electoral Council (CEE) also drew criticism for its failure to respond to many requests for special voting booths for the more than 10,000 displaced persons in Chiapas. On election day, observers in various regions noted the presence of men who kept watch over the voting stations, violating the secrecy of the vote. Threats against representatives of the Alliance for Chiapas were also reported.
With both Salazar and President-elect Vicente Fox entering office, there are cautious hopes that a solution to the armed conflict in Chiapas may be within reach. Salazar strongly supported the peace process through his work on the Congressional Commission for Agreement and Pacification (COCOPA). As governor, he has promised to support the implementation of the San Andrés Peace Accords signed by the EZLN and the Mexican government, promote demilitarization, aid refugees and disarm paramilitary groups. President-elect Fox has also promised to resolve the conflict by fulfilling the San Andrés accords and drawing troops out of the conflict zone. Although the president-elect has been criticized for underestimating the difficulties of achieving peace in Chiapas, his statements have led to a cautious optimism on the part of many observers.
Almost four years after the EZLN suspended dialogue with the Mexican government, there is hope that these new leaders will be able to renew talks with the guerrillas by placing the peace process in Chiapas back on Mexico’s political agenda.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jason Stein works at the information desk of International Service for Peace (SIPAZ). SIPAZ publishes a trimonthly report on the conflict in Chiapas that is available at www.sipaz.org. For subscription information: P.O. Box 2415, Santa Cruz, CA 95603.
