•Who was there?
THERE WERE 1,600 FOREIGN committees which are building participants, as well as more the Zapatista National Liberation than 500 Mexicans from outside Front, representatives of various Chiapas. Forty three countries political parties and, of course, were represented. A majority of Indian organisations from other the foreign participants were parts of Mexico. West Europeans (the French, The EZLN itself sent about 90 Italian and Spanish State delegates: all Indians apart from delegations each had more than Sub-Comandante Marcos. 200 members). The next most Between two and three thousand numerous grouping was from members of the local Indian North America, followed by Latin communities participated in the America. Africa and Asia were opening and closing meetings, under-represented, and Eastern and guaranteed the extraordinary Europe absent. Australian and logistic support for the whole Philippine delegates did manage event. to participate. Few of those from Europe
Organisations representing and North America were indigenous peoples from round members of a political party. the world made sure they were The weak participation of the present at this initiative of their Latin American left was partly Mayan brothers and sisters. due to their participation in the
The Mexican delegation was Fifth annual meeting of the Sao sizeable, comprising Paulo Forum (see page eight). representatives of social Nevertheless, important social organisations (peasants, movements, like Brazil's workers', students', women's, Movement of the Landless and community groups), (MST) and Argentina's Mothers delegates of the civil dialogue of May Square were present.
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. *
Mexico