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DECEMBER 4, 2000

Mexico's new President, Vicente Fox, took office on Friday, promising a new era of government not only for the country as a whole, but for the nation's indigenous people.

"We owe a debt to the indigenous communities which we must settle: the original peoples of these lands continue to suffer an intolerable situation of injustice and inequality," said Fox in his address to Congress.

"Brothers and sisters of indigenous communities," he added, "Never again will there be a Mexico without you."

Campaigning on better relations with the country's Indian population, the 58-year-old Fox began implementing his promises by appointing Xochitl Galvez, an Otomi Indian entrepreneur, to head the country's new Office of Indian Affairs. He soon fulfilled another by agreeing to some of the basic terms of peace proposed by the Zapatista National Liberation Army, leaders of an Indian rights movement in southern Mexico.

On Saturday, Fox ordered the withdrawal of military troops from the state of Chiapas, where the movement began almost seven years ago. Subcomandante Marcos, the group's enigmatic leader, emerged from hiding and agreed to begin negotiations with Fox.

"Mr. Fox, for more than six years, your predecessor, [former President Ernest] Zedillo, feigned dialogue and went to war against us. Now, you have the opportunity to choose," wrote Marcos in a letter to Fox. "Let us hope it is true there will be a new dawn in Mexico and in Chiapas."

Marcos had refused to deal with Zedillo, whose Institutional Revolutionary Party had ruled Mexico for 70 years. He blamed Zedillo personally for the deaths of 45 Indian women and children killed during a 1997 attack by a paramilitary group linked to the government.

Marcos on Saturday said the group would travel to Mexico City in February to meet with Fox. In the meantime, Fox said he would submit to Congress this week Indian-rights legislation encompassing provisions Zedillo's government negotiated, but never approved, with the Zapatistas in 1996.

Known as the San Andrés Accords, they promise self-determination rights to Indian villages, including the right to form local governments according to Indian custom, to teach in Indian languages in public schools, and the right to legislative representation.

More on Fox, the Zaptistas:
Excerpts of President Fox's Address (Global 12/4)
Marcos' letter to Fox (In Spanish) (EZLN 12/2)

Related Stories:
Real Audio: Interview with Marcos (In Spanish) (Panorama Detrás de la Noticia 12/1)
Indian woman named to top post (Global 11/27)

Relevant Links:
Zapatista National Liberation Army (In Spanish) - www.ezln.org
The San Andrés Accords - www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/mexico/SanAndres.html
Official Site of Mexico (In English) - world.presidencia.gob.mx/?NLang=en
Vicente Fox (In Spanish) - www.vicentefox.org.mx