Congress Passes Diluted Indigenous Rights Law — EZLN Rejects It

Mexico's Congress passes the 'Ley Indígena' but in a form significantly weaker than the EZLN's demands and the original 1996 San Andrés Accords. The passed law subordinates indigenous autonomy to existing municipal and constitutional frameworks rather than granting territorial and resource self-governance. The EZLN immediately rejects the law, calling it a 'betrayal' of the San Andrés Accords. The Zapatistas break off all dialogue with the Fox government and retreat to their autonomous communities ('caracoles'), effectively ending the Chiapas peace process for the Fox era.