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CHIAPAS, MEXICO - CPT Chiapas team committed itself to doing an action a week during Lent. The following is a compendium of the larger actions, with brief mention given to the smaller ones.

Praying and Fasting for Indigenous Rights in Mexico City

        On March 9th, Members of Las Abejas (the Bees), Moviemiento Por La Paz ("Movement For Peace," a Mexican peace and justice group), and CPTer Scott Kerr hosted a 12-hour prayer/fast vigil in front of the Mexican Congressional building. The purpose of the vigil was to pray that COCOPA, the law written to implement the San Andreas Accords on Indigenous Rights and Culture, would be passed. The passing of COCOPA is one of three "signs", the Zapatistas claim must be completed before peace talks between them and the Mexican government can resume. (the other two are closing three military installations in Chiapas, and releasing all political prisoners.) Though both the Zapatistas and the Mexican government signed the peace accords February 16, 1996, the government has yet to write them into law.

The coalition of Abejas, Moviemiento Por La Paz and others maintained a presence in front of the legislative building for over twelve hours. During this time Antonio, a representative from the Bees, was invited to enter the congress and speak with representatives from the PRD party. This party is supportive of the COCOPA initiative, but does not hold a majority in the Congress. After the meeting between Antonio and the PRD, representatives came out to address those who were gathered at the vigil.

Proclaiming Release of the Captives

        On March 9th, the rest of the CPT team Claire Evans, Fred Bahnson, and Chris Schweitzer, held a prayer vigil outside Cereso #5, a prison outside of San Cristobal. The team was joined by members of a Loyola University delegation. With fiddle music, songs, prayer, and a reading from Isaiah 58, the vigilers brought to light the injustice present at the prison. During the litany they called for the release of political prisoners, fair trials for all prisoners, and an end to the system of domination of which this prison is a part. Guards were invited to join the service, but declined. However, Bahnson gave copies of the litany to one guard, who said he would pass them on to the prisoners.

CPTers Join Abejas on March for Indigenous Rights

        On March 11th, CPTers Claire Evans, Chris Schweitzer, and Fred Bahnson accompanied nearly 2,000 members of Las Abejas on a march from Yapteclum to Acteal, as distance of about ten kilometers. The Abejas organized this march to demand that the federal government implement the San Andres Accords.

Men, women, and children of all ages joined the nonviolent procession. Along the way, the marchers passed Majomut military base, where they raised their cries for justice even louder. The only response from the military was to videotape the event. Upon reaching Acteal, a press-conference was held where several of the Abejas read a statement calling on the Mexican government to pass the COCOPA law into the constitution.

CPTers vigil at Nestles

        On March 12th, team members Evans and Schweitzer returned to the local Nestle plant, site of a previous action with the February delegation, and held a prayer vigil. They called on Nestle to change their oppressive policies regarding coffee. The two dumped liquid coffee on the ground in a symbolic protest of low coffee prices brought about in part by Nestle's unjust business practices.

Two local TV crews covered the witness, and the local paper ran an article taken from the team's press release.