Possible suspects questioned about Chiapas massacre

December 24, 1997
Web posted at: 12:14 p.m. EST (1714 GMT)

ACTEAL, Mexico (CNN) -- Mexican officials were questioning several men Wednesday in connection with the massacre of 45 Indian refugees in the turbulent Chiapas state.

Mexican Attorney General Jorge Madrazo said three of the possible suspects were being questioned by state prosecutors. Prosecutors said in a news release that a fourth man was hospitalized with injuries in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas' state capital.

None of the men has been charged with a crime, officials said.

"They are giving testimony, but so far they cannot be considered to have participated directly or indirectly," Madrazo said.

Forty-five people, who had fled violence elsewhere in Chiapas, were gunned down Monday by masked men dressed in black, according to survivors of the attack at a refugee camp near the village of Acteal. Thirty-nine of the victims were women and children.

Up to 70 gunmen, using AK-47s, fired indiscriminately for several hours, and chased refugees who tried to flee down a hillside, witnesses said.

Survivors said the gunmen were members of a paramilitary group backed by Mexico's ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). They said some of the gunmen wore state police uniforms -- with the insignias removed.

The massacre is said to be the bloodiest event in Chiapas state in the last four years.

Chiapas is the headquarters of the Zapatista National Liberation Front, which launched a rebellion against the government in January 1994, demanding rights for Indians.

President partly to blame?

During the last seven months, up to 8,500 people have reportedly fled their homes near Acteal to escape escalating violence.

Since the Zapatista uprising began, many villagers have aligned themselves with the rebels and other paramilitary groups vying for control of the region.

Peace talks between the Zapatistas and the government broke down more than a year ago. In recent months, rebels have accused state officials of cooperating with, and even forming paramilitary groups to attack Zapatista supporters.

The government has denied the accusation.

On Monday, PRI national president Mariano Palacios Alcocer hastened to distance his party from the massacre.

"The PRI rejects violence in all its forms," he said.

Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, the top PRI politician, condemned the attack on national television, calling it "cruel, absurd, unacceptable." He vowed that the killers would be tracked down and punished.

But analysts say Zedillo may be partly to blame for ignoring the troubles in Chiapas state, and for failing to implement a partial peace accord signed with the Zapatistas in February 1996.

"The state in no way can allow Colombian-type groups to exist and pretend that a state of law exists," said prominent Mexican political analyst Lorenzo Meyer.

Support for the PRI has been dwindling. The party lost control of Congress during this year's election.

Analysts say the government's failure to crack down on paramilitary groups in Chiapas will raise more questions about its possible involvement with the paramilitary groups.

Mexicans, particularly in Chiapas, are losing faith in government leadership.

"There's no government anymore," said Agustin Vazquez, a Zapatista supporter. "It seems that there is no longer any authority in this country."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• At least 45 dead in southern Mexico massacre - December 23, 1997
• Dozens reported killed in massacre in southern Mexico - December 23, 1997
• Zapatista rebels arrive in Mexico City - September 12, 1997

Related sites:

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• Understanding Chiapas
• Understanding The Chiapas Revolt In Mexico
• Chiapas Solidarity Page
• Additional resources - Mexican Anarchism

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