Interesting piece of memetic engineering, this. As Subcommandte Marcos was widely quoted: "time to sharpen your words" According to El Presidente Fox, it was a "peace march". According to the Zapatistas, it was a march for indigenous peoples' rights. Only mention of the wider agenda in the BBC's coverage - which was extensive from 2am to 6am while the Important People were asleep - was a reference to "European leftists" supporting the march and the Zapatistas' opposition to "rampant capitalism".

Read the Zapatista speech in Mexico City here (en Español) and make word soup of it with BabelFish.

Subcommandante Marcos's appeal for support, writing from the mountains of the Mexican Southeast...

To Civil Society:

Madame:

I am writing to you while it is raining and we are waiting here for the return of the compañeros and compañeras who went to the march in San Cristóbal de Las Casas. In a manner which is not customary for us, we are trying to keep you informed as to how things are going here through letters like this.

...

This mobilization will most certainly be of great social and political significance for the people of Mexico. Its fulfillment will be dependent on the combination of many efforts, various kinds of support and on the direct participation of thousands of enthusiastic persons.

We are calling on the solidarity of people, collectives and organizations, nationally and internationally - on civil society in general - to contribute financial help, which will enable the planned departure of the zapatista delegation on February 25 to be realized, as well as to help pay for the operating expenses of the recently opened
Zapatista Information Center; ciz@ezlnaldf.org

Updated 13 Mar 2001