Poverty of Mexico's Indigenous Peoples Due to State's Public Policy Failure Enrique Mendez - La Jornada
go to original January 4, 2014

The poverty that continues to effect Mexico’s indigenous population – 20 years after the armed uprising in Chiapas – is the result of the failed public policy of the State rather than Zapatista thought, argues Jaime Martínez Veloz, Commissioner of Dialog with Indigenous Communities.

He stated that it is unjust to blame the situation on Zapatistas. Those opponents who rely on such arguments are related to those who, using political propaganda, argue that the indigenous rights initiative of the Commission on Coexistence and Peace (Cocopa) will fragment the country.

In an interview, Martínez Veloz maintained that the statistics from the National Council on Evaluating Social Policy (Coneval) confirm the disastrous effects of the policies on indigenous communities, despite “sincere efforts by those who support the indigenous cause.”

It is necessary to notice, he said, that the high indices of marginalization are not the responsibility of the Zapatistas, despite what some unofficial voices have argued. On the contrary, the indicators show that Zapatista thought was correct 20 years ago, and similar beliefs continue to be sound.

Read the rest at Mexico Voices

Translated by Leila English

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