MEXICO: CHIAPAS: MORE GOVERNMENT TROOPS SENT TO REGION

Spanish/Nat The Mexican government has been pouring more troops into the troubled region of Chiapas, as church leaders try to restart peace talks. Opposition presidential candidate, Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, is expected to arrive soon to help bring the parties to the negotiating table. The Mexican government troop buildup has continued through the holiday, as the authorities attempt to strengthen their position. Hundreds of soldiers were brought here by train from Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border. Before the weekend, the rebels chopped down trees, moved rocks and used other means to block the roads into the area they control. On Christmas day, a delegation headed by bishop Samuel Ruiz, headed to the jungle to talk with rebel leaders. At Mass today (Monday), the bishop commented on the progress of the peace process. SOUNDBITE: Y aun caminan los ejercitos unos y otros en distintos lugares. Nos da la imprecion de que pronto tendran un acuerdo para detenerse y empezar hablar. Ya hay el reconocimiento para que pueda haber una comunicacion que estaba cortada y esperamos que pronto dandose la orden de uno y otro ejercito de que se de tengan y que se determinen dias de tregua. (English Translation: Although each army walks in separate places, they give us the impression that soon there will be an agreement to start talking. Already they recognize that in order to have a communication which was cut off and we hope that each army will agree on a day for a truce.) SUPER CAPTION: Bishop Samuel Ruiz San Cristobal's cathedral was filled with local residents who wanted to hear his message. The Zapatistas have been silent since moving thousands of masked insurgents outside their territory and away from government forces. However their presence is conspicuous. In the town of Aurora, papers from a government office are strewn on the street and rebel grafitti adorns the building. Local people sympathetic to the Zapatista rebels say they don't want to fight the government. SOUNDBITE: No quorums pelear con el gobierno. (English Translation: We don't want to fight the government.) Local Resident Caught in the middle of the conflict is the local peasant population whose lot appears little changed since the new push for a peaceful settlement. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/e933ea1c61ac0eb34441b513dfdc00d6 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork