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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | August 2005 
López Obrador Avoids Spat with Marcos
 Wire services
| | It was not clear if the criticism would undermine López Obrador's poll-leading run for the presidency. |
The Zapatista rebels are finding it hard to pick a fight.
The nation's leading left-leaning presidential contender, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, refused on Monday to answer weekend criticisms of his Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) by Zapatista leader Subcomandante Marcos.
"I'm not going to fight with Subcomandante Marcos," López Obrador told reporters during a campaign swing through northern parts of the country. "I greatly respect his points of view, but I'm touring the country with another purpose," he added, referring to his presidential campaign.
Marcos recently has repeatedly criticized López Obrador and the PRD, saying they have reneged on promises to support Zapatista goals.
It was not clear if the criticism would undermine López Obrador's poll-leading run for the presidency among Democratic Revolution's core leftist base or if it would help him with other voters by making him seem moderate.
In a meeting over the weekend with Indian organizations, Marcos told PRD leaders, "Don't keep lying and look for better arguments to debate, because if you don't, not only will we think you're shameless morons, but we will conclude you're stupid." The Indian affairs adviser for President Vicente Fox was another target of Zapatista ire, and she also avoided a fight Monday. Xochitl Gálvez, an Otomi Indian, said Marcos' "ideas and his criticism are welcome." "Hopefully there are also proposals," she added.
Gálvez was presiding over a conference of government and Indian leaders from throughout Latin America meant to analyze and promote recognition of Indian rights in the hemisphere.creening device has been rejected in several countries, among them the heavily security conscious United States. |
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