Acteal Redux

In the thread La Ley de Herodes, I was discussing a drive we just took in Chiapas from San Cristóbal de Las Casas to Pantelhó in the indigenous territories of the Sierra Los Altos de Chiapas and that comment was a bit of a diversion from the movie of that name I and other posters were discussing in that thread so, when I thought I might expand on my comments regarding this fascinating drive through extraordinary mountain scenery, I decided to start a new thread that is more on the subject of that drive rather than only peripherally connected to the subject at hand on the original thread.

The drive from San Cristóbal to Pantelhó is noted not only for the incredible scenery in the spectacula high mountains but for the fact that the drive is straight through some of the more hardcore Zapatista territory and right through the heart of tiny Acteal, the scene of an infamous massacre in December, 1997 when 45 Tzotziles, mostly women and children were slaughtered by the PRIISTA paramilitary group known as Mascara Roja. Now I don´t bring this up to alarm anyone or to sensationalize a terrible event that took place 14 years ago. I just think that, those of you inclined to take this approximately two hour drive from San Cristóbal when visiting the Chiapas Highlands should be aware of the important historical context of this tiny village clinging to the precipitous slopes of the Sierra a few kilometers before the traveler reaches the end of the federal paved road at Pantelhó. You should also be aware if you plan to drive this road, that, even though this is mostly Zapatista territory, you sould encounter no overt and discomforting hostility as long as you remain respectful of local customs and traditions and keep a modest profile.

It is not generally known to most travelers to the region that much of the violence among indigenous groups in Chiapas involves intertwined land ownership and usage/political/religious disputes that are difficult for outsiders to comprehend. To greatly oversimplify the events in Acteal in 1997, let me just say that the massacre largely grew out of the aforementioned land and political disputes. Acteal is a settlement of a pacifist pro-Zapatista group known as the Sociedad Civil Las Abejas and is part of the Municipality of San Pedro Chenalhó, a very attractive community in a splendid and deep sub-tropical high mountain valley with a marvelous climate where coffee and bananas are grown extensively. To get to Acteal, one drives back up over high mountain ridges from Chenalhó before plunging ( perhaps a poor choice of words) toward Pantelhó, a town famous for its coffee and honey, at the end of the paved road. The Mascara Roja paramilitary group of PRIISTAS, armed with AK-47s and M-16s opened fire on a group of mostly women and children gathered in a local church for refuge and that massacre infamously took place within 200 meters of a police retén on the main highway. There is, today, a modest monument commemerating this terrible event.

Now, this posting should not be construed in any way as politically oriented and the "facts" I cite are only the "facts" as I gathered them from news accounts and the internet so please don´t draw any political conclusions based on my commentary. Also bear in mind that there were two sides to the dispute that led to this massacre although that certainly does not excuse what happened in Acteal by any stretch of the imagination. I am simply relating the story to the reader to point out the historical importance of Acteal in the unfolding of the Zapatista movement in the 1990s. The Zapatista movement is still alive with an avid following in many parts of the Chiapas Highlands so the tourist/driver will find this drive far more interesting if apprised of some of the history he/she is passing on this trip.

Today, the high, precipitous ridge where Acteal is located is also the home of a Mexican army camp and a Zapatista outpost. For those with an interest in the history of Chiapas with its very large indigenous population, this drive is fascinating and worth the effort - preferably in your own car.