Chiapas/National: Commission for Concord and Pacification Seeks to Meet Secretariat of Government to Explore Possibiity of Dialogue between Federal Government and EZLN

On May 26th, the Commission of Concord and Pacification (COCOPA in its Spanish acronym) stated its willingness to summon Olga Sanchez Cordero to the Interior Ministry to see the possibility of establishing a dialogue with the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN in its Spanish acronym).

The COCOPA is composed of federal deputies and senators, and was formed after the uprising of the EZLN in 1994 to mediate the negotiation process between the government and the EZLN. Although this commission has not been active in this role for many years, each legislature has renewed its existence.

Alfredo Vazquez Vazquez, deputy of the third district of Chiapas and part of MORENA, commented that the government has not complied with the San Andres Accords on indigenous rights and culture signed in February 1966 because “the Mexican government did not give it its deserved importance.”

For his part, the current president of COCOPA, Eduardo Zarzosa (PRI) who assumed this role in February, said, among other things, that: “We want to know the position of the federal government in relation to this issue that remained pending and given this climate of violence that we live in, it would be very useful for the country to achieve a lasting peace in Chiapas … It is not an easy matter, but we must promote actions that give continuity to the negotiations between the federal government and the members of the EZLN. Why? To achieve lasting peace in the region.”

For more information in Spanish:

Busca Cocopa restablecer diálogo entre Segob y EZLN (La Jornada, 26 de mayo de 2019)

Comisión Bicamaral de Concordia y Pacificación se reunirá con titular de Segob, para restablecer diálogo con EZLN (Cámara de Diputados,  26 de mayo de 2019)

Buscarán posición del gobierno de AMLO con el EZLN, para reiniciar diálogo y cumplir acuerdos de San Andrés Larrainzar (Chiapas Paralelo, 27 de mayo de 2019)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas/National: San Andres Accords unfulfilled 20 years later (February 29, 2016)

National: Forum advances legislative reforms for observance of San Andrés Accords on indigenous rights and culture (March 2, 2014)

Chiapas: 18 years after the signing of the San Andrés Accords on Indigenous Rights and Culture, these continue not to be recognized by the State (March 1, 2014)

Chiapas: new governor calls for observance of San Andrés Accords (January 8, 2013)