Mexico City - "Mission accomplished," said the Zapatista chief, Subcommander Marcos, as the rebel leaders packed their bags yesterday to return to their jungle bases, Michael McCaughan reports. "We are leaving with our hands full," he added.
"This is a triumph for tolerant Mexico, inclusive Mexico, where there are no winners or losers", said President Vicente Fox, relieved that his high-risk strategy for peace in Chiapas was beginning to pay off.
President Fox confirmed a meeting yesterday between government and rebel representatives, signalling a return to dialogue, stalled since 1996.
The Zapatista leadership, minus Subcommander Marcos, spent five hours in Congress on Wednesday, exposing the gap between rich and poor in Mexico.