ABSTRACT
This chapter speculates about the prospects for autonomy in Latin America. The most outstanding fact with regard to advances toward autonomy for the Indian peoples of Latin America is the armed rebellion of Tojolabal, Tzeltal, Tzotzil and Chol communities that began on January 1, 1994, in the Mexican state of Chiapas. The Chiapas rebellion did not invent the idea of autonomy in Mexico, but it did give it a political aspect and a programmatic profile never before seen. Political parties, social organizations, religious dignitaries, and intellectuals and analysts of the most diverse orientations have all expressed themselves in favor of autonomy. Dialogue between the parties was suspended for the rest of the year, although linkages were maintained. In 1995, the parties had agreed to resume negotiations. It was decided to have six sessions of dialogue and negotiation, each dealing with a particular topic in four phases. The chapter describes all these phases.
