the constitution of mexico, in the second article of its main body, states that the confederation of states are rooted in the "indigenous american" community. the term "pluricutural" is added to nation to form a directive to all mexican citizenry:

• the right to decide the internal forms of social, economic, political and cultural organization;
• the right to apply their own normative systems of regulation as long as human rights and gender equality are respected;
• the right to preserve and enrich their languages and cultures;
• the right to elect representatives before the municipal council in which their territories are located

these are explicit terms, amongst a sea of support for the AMERINDIAN or indigenous american community that makes up roughly one third of the mexican national population. it is a wonder that chiapas has become such a zone of political dispute to the point of violence.