Mexican police open fire on massacre protesters, 1 dead

January 13, 1998
Web posted at: 4:01 a.m. EST (0901 GMT)

OCOSINGO, Mexico (CNN) -- Mexican state police opened fire on a group of stone-throwing protesters in southern Chiapas Monday, killing a woman and wounding two others, including the woman's infant daughter.

The clash, captured on video, erupted as demonstrators protesting last month's massacre of 45 Indians in the region were met by police at a gas station near the town of Ocosingo, about 500 miles (800 km) southeast of Mexico City.

Protesters hurled rocks at police and exhorted them to leave. Police responded by firing tear gas canisters. When that failed to stop the hail of rocks, police fired into the air with guns and later lowered their barrels into the crowd.

Federal authorities immediately ordered the army to investigate. Soldiers arrested 27 officers believed responsible and confiscated 30 weapons, officials said.

"(The governor) sought help from the army for the immediate detention of the police officers involved in the events," Francisco Labastida, the new interior minister, told reporters.

Hospital officials in the nearby town of Altamirano identified the dead woman as Guadalupe Mendez Lopez, 38. Her daughter, Isabel Santis Mendez was wounded in the left arm.

Another demonstrator wounded by a bullet in the stomach was identified as Lazar Lopez Vasquez. His age was not immediately known.

"We don't want any more massacres. We want dialogue and peace for our brothers in Chiapas and for all of the country." -- protester in Mexico City

State government officials here or in the state capital of Tuxtla Gutierrez refused to comment on the clash.

The December 22 massacre is the worst bloodletting in Chiapas since the guerillas of the Zapatista National Liberation Army launched their offensive four years ago to demand greater Indian rights.

The victims were mostly women and children who had been praying for peace when paramilitary death squads linked to the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, gunned them down in the village of Acteal.

Massacre protests span globe

Earlier Monday, thousands of angry demonstrators from throughout the country converged on Mexico City to protest the massacre. The marchers included members of human rights organizations, peasants, student groups, sympathizers of Zapatista rebels, Catholic clergy and leftist opposition parties.

"We don't want any more massacres. We want dialogue and peace for our brothers in Chiapas and all of the country," a masked protester said.

Added another: "We don't want injustice any more. We want democracy."

The rally in the Mexican capital was a peaceful march and coincided with similar protests around the world.

Activists in Rome forced their way into the Mexican embassy's tourist office. In Los Angeles, about 300 demonstrators took to the streets and blocked an intersection. There were no reports of injuries.

Police commander confesses to supplying weapons

Chris Kline reports on protests in Mexico City 2 min. 27 sec. VXtreme video

Federal prosecutors in Mexico on Monday charged a local police commander with supplying the weapons for the massacre. The attorney general's office said the commander told them he was only following orders when he delivered the weapons.

The testimony came from Felipe Vazquez Espinoza, commander of the Chiapas state police detachment in Los Chorros, a village near the site of the massacre blamed on pro-government gunmen.

"He was instructed to check whether the armed people were members of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, and if they were, to leave them be," the attorney general's unsigned statement said.

The confession is the first link tying state authorities to the massacre. The attorney general's office, however, has yet to name any state officials as suspects or say which superiors the police commander said gave him his orders.

The killings have since prompted the dismissal of Interior Minister Emilio Chauyffet and Chiapas state Gov. Julio Caesar Ruiz Ferro. Ferro has denied knowing about plans for the massacre, but the National Commission for Human Rights has said otherwise.

The new Chiapas governor, Roberto Albores Gullien, has pledged to disarm the paramilitary gangs, bring those to trial and strengthen peace negotiations in the region. Chiapas has been split into pro-government and pro-rebel factions since Zapatista rebels arose in January 1994.

Mexico City Bureau Chief Chris Kline and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

Newsmaker Profiles:

• Ernesto Zedillo - Mexican President

Related stories:

• Zapatista supporters protest in Mexico City - January 5, 1998
• Mexican president replaces interior minister - January 3, 1998
• Mexican mayor charged with organizing massacre - December 28, 1997
• Critics denounce government explanation for Mexican massacre - Dec. 27, 1997
• Possible suspects questioned about Chiapas massacre - December 24, 1997

Related sites:

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• The Mexican Government
• Understanding Chiapas
• Understanding The Chiapas Revolt In Mexico
• Chiapas Solidarity Page

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