ousands of troops in the areas where the rebels are influential, and have demanded that the government free Zapatista prisoners and disband paramilitary groups. Marcos said Saturday night that those conditions still apply before peace talks can begin. Fox already appeared to be removing those obstacles. In his first action as president, Fox sent the rejected Indian rights bill to Congress for approval, and ordered troops to withdraw from sensitive spots in Chiapas and to dismantle roadblocks. "The new dialogue begins with deeds, not words. The new dialogue speaks with the sincerity of actions," read a communique signed by Fox's interior secretary, Santiago Creel, and his Chiapas aide, Luis H. Alvarez. In La Realidad, Marcos said he approved of Alvarez as a negotiator. As a federal senator in 1996, Alvarez had helped negotiate the Indian rights bill. Marcos said Fox's actions showed good will, but that he was distrustful of the pro-business president. Marcos 'distrustful' of FoxMarcos said he wouldn't let the new president turn Mexico into "a giant department store ... where human lives and natural resources are bought and sold as the market demands." Then he addressed Fox directly: "During your campaign, you have said time and again that you are willing to reopen dialogue. Zedillo said the same thing ... then launched a major offensive against us." The rights bill would grant Indian communities more control over their territory and the right to make laws and elect officials according to their traditional customs. The Zedillo administration had opposed the part about land control, saying it endangered national sovereignty. Marcos said the Zapatistas aren't interested in seizing power. He said if the war were to end, they would form a political organization, but not a political party. Asked why not, he said: "First of all, because we'd lose." With Saturday's meeting, the offbeat rebel leader proved that he can still draw a small army of i...
