* Mexico Sabino Estrada Guadalupe [Mexico, D.F.] -- Leading PRT comrade Sabino Estrada died on Monday September 9th. A former leader of the Council of Nahuatl Peoples in Alto Basalas, Sabino was President of the Guerrero Council of the "500 Years of Indian Resistance" campaign. He represented the Council at the National Indigenous Forum called by the EZLN, becoming a member of the Forum leadership.
Those who participated in the EZLN's Forum on Reforming the State this July (see page seven) will remember Sabino, who presented the conclusions — in Nahuatl and Spanish — to the final meeting.
In the EZLN Intercontinental meeting, Sabino represented the Guerrero "500 Years" campaign in the forum on the indigenous question
• The meeting took place in "Hot springs," (Aguascalientes) built next to five Indigenous communities. Each has an open-air forum seating up to 4,000 people, and roofed spaces where visitors can hang their hammock. • Rather than isolated guerrilla bases, the EZLN encourages the Maya peasants to create these forums, which are open to Mexican and international rebels. Struggling together rather than fighting in isolation. That's the Zapatista strategy. * • Those of us from Boston, Birmingham and Berlin measure time differently from these rebel Mayas. Preparing the meeting, welcoming us, and listening to what each participant has to say: their patience seems limitless. • Sitting quietly and watching, they notice things which we miss, as we hurry from one place to another on errands which, in the end, are of limited importance. It took a long time to appreciate this lesson. *
•Who was there?
•Atter 5 days in La Realidad you learn how to walk with a kilo of clay stuck to each foot. "international politics is like walking in the mud," Marcos said. "Step caretully." The mud didn't stop many delegates from dancing for hours. We went to bed with mud up to our knees. • No alcohol, no drugs. Four hours by jeep to the nearest telephone. And sixteen hours to the nearest bus stop. None of the delegates we saw had a mobile phone. Or a jeep, for that matter. * held in La Garrucha.
He also drafted the motion on the indigenous question which was adopted at the recent congress of the committees which are building PRT.(see p. eight). In June 1995 he the Zapatista National Liberation represented the PRT at the 14th Front, representatives of various World Congress of the Fourth political parties and, of course, International. Indian organisations from other
Sabino Estrada had a solid record of campaigning for justice and The EZLN itself sent about 90 democracy in Guerrero state. He was delegates: all Indians apart from part of the team which finally won Sub-Comandante Marcos. control of the town hall away from Between two and three thousand the ruling PRI, after years of fraud members of the local Indian and violence. He was also part of the communities participated in the new national leadership of the PRT. opening and closing meetings.
and guaranteed the extraordinary
Sabino was last seen leaving a logistic support for the whole Chilpancingo meeting of the Guerrero leadership of the PRT, to discuss his Few of those from Europe campaign for election to the state and North America were congress. Part of that campaign members of a political party. consisted in denouncing the The weak participation of the numerous violations of human rights Latin American left was partly by the Mexican army, which is due to their participation in the massively present in Guerrero. Fifth annual meeting of the Sao
Police say Sabino died in a traffic Paulo Forum (see page eight). accident. His death is a hard blow - Nevertheless, important social the latest in a series of deaths of movements, like Brazil's leading PRT comrades over the last Movement of the Landless year. He will not be forgotten! JD] * 6 International Viewpoint
THERE WERE 1,600 FOREIGN participants, as well as more than 500 Mexicans from outside Chiapas. Forty three countries were represented. A majority of the foreign participants were parts of Mexico. West Europeans (the French, Italian and Spanish State delegations each had more than 200 members). The next most numerous grouping was from North America, followed by Latin America. Africa and Asia were under-represented, and Eastern Europe absent. Australian and Philippine delegates did manage event. to participate.
Organisations representing indigenous peoples from round the world made sure they were present at this initiative of their Mayan brothers and sisters.
The Mexican delegation was sizeable, comprising representatives of social organisations (peasants', workers, students, womens, and community groups), delegates of the civil dialogue
Groups which sent representatives included Spain's United Left (IU), Italy's Communist Refoundation (Rifondazione), Brazil's. Workers' Party (PT), several Philippine organisations with Communist origins, and the Cwi (the international current linked to the British group Militant).
Numerous intellectual and artistic personalities from Mexico and abroad also played an active part in the meeting
The Fourth International was represented by more than 50 members, from Belgium, Brazil, Ecuador, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Porto Rico, the Spanish State and Switzerland. Three members of our International Executive Committee met with a delegation of the Indigenous Clandestine Revolutionary Committee, which forms the General Command of the EZLN. We agreed to establish fraternal relations between the two organisations. *