Mexico's Zapatista rebel leaders are to leave Mexico City and return to their jungle bases, blaming "political bickering" for preventing them addressing parliament. "Congress has been taken hostage by those who prefer to close their eyes to the national and international mobilisation," said Marcos, the rebel leader, referring to the week of on-off talks over the terms under which the rebels might address the congress.
The Zapatistas made a two-week trek across the country, rallying support for the San Andres peace accord, which, if approved would grant limited autonomy to the nation's 11 million indigenous people, some 10 per cent of the population.
"We are still working on a last-minute resolution to this disagreement," said President Vicente Fox yesterday. Members of Mr Fox's National Action Party (PAN), with links to business, have refused to allow the masked rebels an audience in parliament, arguing that the Zapatistas have yet to retract their declaration of war. "This mobilisation of ordinary people has only begun," responded Marcos, "no one can stop it." The rebels called on their supporters to meet outside congress for a farewell demonstration on Thursday.
Marcos accused President Fox of "empty gestures and PR" in calling for peace talks without fully meeting rebel conditions for returning to dialogue.