Mexico City - The massacre of 45 villagers in the southern state of Chiapas a year ago could have been avoided with an army presence in the area, the country's attorney-general claimed yesterday.
In releasing a 145-page report before the first anniversary of the killings in the village of Acteal, Mr Jorge Madrazo disputed claims by Zapatista rebels who say the heavy military presence now in Chiapas is a source of conflict. "If the army had been in Acteal on December 22nd, 1997 these acts would have never been committed," Mr Madrazo told a news conference.
Twenty-one women, 15 children and nine men were hacked to death in Acteal with machetes or shot at point-blank range by pro-government paramilitaries. The victims, Tzotzil Indians, were seen as Zapatista sympathisers.