Panel talks about Mexican rebel group

The Chiapas rebellion in Mexico was the theme of a panel discussion yesterday. The discussion, titled "The Chiapas Rebellion and the Political Crisis in Mexico," was held in 3 Rockefeller. The panelists included a political scientist, a Dartmouth professor, and two professors from other institutions. Professor John Coatsworth from Harvard University spoke about the implications of the Chiapas rebellion on Mexican politics. The most far-reaching implication of the rebellion, he said, is that the present administration cannot continue with its economic reforms without moving towards democratization and social equality. Political scientist Neal Harvey stressed that the Chiapas rebellion is symptomatic of a larger rural crisis in Mexico. According to Harvey, the chief reason for the rebellion stems from the reforms of Article 27 of the Mexican constitution, which left thousands of young Natives without land. The rebellion is not a breakaway movement, he said.