President Fox has promised peace

When he came to power in December 2000, ending seven decades of rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, President Fox said he could solve the Chiapas problem in 15 minutes.

He sent the proposals for constitutional reform that had been agreed with the Zapatistas and other indigenous groups to Congress for consideration.

The reforms were watered down considerably in committee, and articles guaranteeing the autonomy of indigenous communities were dropped.

Two nations

Lawmakers argued that they would have split Mexico, creating one system for non-indigenous people, and another for the native inhabitants.

But indigenous groups saw their demands for autonomy as one of the key advances in achieving internal peace in Mexico.

In an attempt to resolve the situation in Chiapas, the Fox administration has fulfilled two other pledges: it has freed most Zapatista prisoners, and has withdrawn troops from seven disputed bases in the region.

The Zapatistas want more indigenous rights

The Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) began its uprising on 1 January 1994, claiming it was fighting for greater respect for indigenous rights throughout Mexico.

As many as 150 people were killed before a truce was called.

Violence

The Zapatistas and other groups entered into peace negotiations with the Mexican Government, but these were broken off in 1996, when the Zapatistas said the government's proposals did not go far enough.

Some local observers fear that if the new constitutional changes are not accepted by the Zapatistas, the rebels could return to violence to press their claims.