Case Study Mexico and the Chiapas Problem   Instructions: Enter your answers into the boxes below. If you'd like a print-out of your responses, click on the Submit button at the bottom of the page, and you will be taken to a printer-friendly page. If you have been instructed to submit your exercise online, enter both your and your instructor's name and e-mail address, then click the Email button at the bottom of the page. Your answers will be e-mailed immediately.   The Haves and Have Nots :: The Sledgehammer :: A New Opportunity?   The Sledgehammer The guerilla insurgency of the EZLN raises a second question about the kind of nation that Mexico is going to be. How will it respond to this sort of rebellion? What methods will be employed to bring it to an end? A compelling argument can be made that the Mexican government must take strong and decisive military steps to put this revolt down. The Mexican government must act in a way that demonstrates clearly that law and order will be preserved and protected. Mexico will not be taken seriously as long as criminals masquerading themselves as revolutionaries are free to take up arms and engage in acts of violence against the government. Other nations will have grave doubts about investing in a lawless third world country. If these nations fear that their employees and their property cannot be protected against guerilla attacks, it is unlikely that they will bring their operations to Mexico. Thus, the response of Mexico should be one that involves the swift and severe application of military force against the Zapatistas. They must be crushed. There is another way to look at this issue. The actions of the EZLN demonstrate that there is something wrong with the Mexican system of government. Using the military to crush the Zapatista movement will not solve that problem. The Zapatistas resorted to force because they realized that the political process did not offer a means of solving their problems. The solution to the problem in Chiapas lies not in more violence from the government, but rather, in developing a method by which the people are able to voice their concerns without resorting to violence. This means political reform. The EZLN should not be destroyed with force, but rather encouraged to focus its efforts on the political realm. Subcomandante Marcos should be allowed to remove his mask and take his place in the Mexican Congress as a representative of the Mayan Indians. Marcos’ efforts and talents should be focused on building coalitions in the halls of power rather than leading hit and run military operations and hiding in the mountains, writing editorials for the newspapers. The Indians of Chiapas must be given a chance to bring about change peacefully. If they are not, the violence will never end. Do you view the use of force against the EZLN as appropriate? What level of force is acceptable in your opinion? What do you think of the argument that Mexico must demonstrate to foreign interests that their investment will be safe from attack from rebel forces? Do you see the government establishing a dialog with the Zapatista National Liberation Army as a legitimate means of ending violence in Chiapas or as a fool’s errand? Do you view the EZLN as terrorists or revolutionaries?     Student Name:* Student Email:*   Professor Name:*   Professor Email:*         *required