Remembrance of a Massacre

On December 22, 1997 in the isolated hills near San Cristobol, Chiapas 45 E.Z.L.N. members (Zapatistas) and their families were murdered by paramilitary gunmen. There is evidence that the regular military and perhaps even the Government knew of this planned massacre of 15 children, 21 women and 9 men and did nothing to stop it. There have been dozens of lawsuits for damages by victims families and a few token arrests of assailants but there are still many unanswered questions. We passed this sign on Mex Hwy 199.

EDIT: I found this press release on a Latin America site. Here is some other information my search resulted in finding:

"On December 22, 1997 paramilitary (state-trained and state-funded pro-governing party civil defense) forces surrounded a Catholic chapel in the pacifist Tsotsil Mayan community of Acteal, Chiapas state, Mexico. During a period of several hours, this armed force, with the apparent consent of local Mexican Army units stationed not far away, proceeded to surround Acteal's chapel, and shot to death those inside, and as many of those who escaped as they could find. A number of residents survived the massacre. Those murdered on that day included 15 children, 21 women (four of them pregnant) and 9 men."

"After nine years, the government of the state of Chiapas has finally appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the December 22, 1997 massacre of 45 Tzotzil Mayan civilians, who were mostly women, including pregnant women, and children as young as 2 months old.

Thirty civilians (Mayans supporting the PRI party), 15 civil servants and 11 state policeman had previously been sentenced for their roles in the crime."

- CIMAC Noticias

News for Women

Mexico City

Dec. 27, 2006