Today, after a long standoff, threats and violence against the owners and staff, Rancho Esmeralda was invaded by members of the neighboring Zapatista community. Here is the press release in English. The Spanish version is below (click MORE).

Words can't express the sadness we feel for Glenn and Ellen, for Ocosingo, for Chiapas, and for the Zapatista movement, which has betrayed its principles by this action. Soon comes the twisting of the facts and the spin based on ideologies. For now, only grief for the lost ideals on all sides.

In English:

PRESS RELEASE

RANCHO ESMERALDA

Ocosingo, Chiapas

Tel. 91967 08960 or 08922

February 28, 2003

Today, Friday, the 28th of February the American-owned ecoturistic hotel, Rancho Esmeralda, in Ocosingo, Chiapas, Mexico was invaded and taken by the Zapatista neighbors of Nuevo Jerusalen and the Autonomous Municipality "Primero de Enero". At 7AM about 100 men, armed with machetes began to gather at the ranch entrance. The two employees who were on the ranch, Vicente Sanchez Lopez and Ruben Cruz Kanter, contacted the owners warned them that an invasion appeared imminent. The owners immediately informed the authorities including the offices of Public Security, the Gobernacion Delegate in Ocosingo, the state Secretary of Government and the office of the Governor.

At about 8:30 the police arrived at the entrance to the Tonina ruins where the walking path that accesses Rancho Esmeralda begins. But they could not enter the ranch without an order from the state Secretary of Government, Emilio Zebadua, who was not available. Representatives from the Gobernacion Delegation and the Secretary of Pueblos Indigenous also arrived but were unable to enter the ranch which was by now surrounded by Zapatistas.

The owners of Rancho Esmeralda informed both local and state authorities of the threat of invasion for the first time on the 13th of December, 2002 after they had been called to a meeting by the community Nuevo Jerusalen. At this meeting the owners were informed that road access to the tourism center was closed to all guests, visitors and suppliers of Rancho Esmeralda. The Zapatistas also demanded the title to the ranch. In the two and a half months since the owners have been struggling to find a peaceful solution to this problem in the face of further threats and harassment. On January 29th the Zapatistas closed the road to Rancho Esmeralda totally and put a lock on the illegal gate they had installed on the Carretera San Juanito, the public road of 36 years that accesses Rancho Esmeralda.

That evening when the owner, Glen Wersch, returned from town he was attacked by a mob of Zapatistas hurling rocks and trying to stop his vehicle and grab him. The next day an employee of the ranch, Ernesto Cruz Kanter, was kidnapped by the Zapatistas, held hostage for six hours, beaten and released with a written note directed to the owner that said, "we are not playing games, we don't want you here, if you don't understand next time it will be worse". With these acts of violence and threats of more the ranch was completely closed to tourism. On the 29th of January Ellen Jones, the wife of Glen Wersch and co-owner of Rancho Esmeralda, filed charges against Nuevo Jerusalen for the kidnapping of Ernesto Cruz and for threats of invasion.

The owners and employees of Rancho Esmeralda have maintained possession of the ranch throughout the month of February until today when the Zapatistas invaded and took the ranch. The employees were under instruction not to resist in the event that an invasion should take place. The Zapatistas demanded the keys to the buildings and the employees delivered the keys that they had in their possession to the invaders. The Zapatistas inspected each building, together with the two employees, and filmed every building with a video camera. Finally, the two employees were allowed to leave the ranch with their personal belongings but none of the things that remained belonging to the ranch.

The Mexican authorities have been fully informed of the threatened invasion of Rancho Esmeralda for over two months. Criminal charges of kidnapping and threats of invasion had been filed for a full month. There has been ample opportunity to avoid the invasion of the tourist guest ranch but the state government chose to do nothing. In fact, just 10 days ago, at a meeting in his office in the state capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez, the state Secretary of Government, Emilio Zebadua, told the owners of Rancho Esmeralda clearly that the state of Chiapas would definitely not take any action to remove the illegal gate on the San Juanito road or send in any police to protect the ranch.

The owners, Glen Wersch and Ellen Jones remain in Ocosingo struggling to find a solution to this crisis. Today they filed charges against the community for invasion of the ranch. "We were forced from our home, our tourism business has been ruined and now our ranch has been taken", said Ellen Jones, "This has been a robbery in plain daylight with threats in writing for two months". This did not have to happen. We will seek justice."

En Espanol:

Rancho Esmeralda
Ocosingo, Chiapas
telefono celular 91967 08960 o 08922
Declaracion a la Prensa

28 de Febrero 2003

Hoy, Viernes, 28 de Febrero el centro turístico, Rancho Esmeralda, fue tomado por sus vecinos Zapatistas, los de la comunidad Nuevo Jerusalen y el Municipio Autonomo "Primero de Enero". A las 7 de la manana empezaron a juntarses unos 100 hombres con machetes en la entrada del Rancho Esmeralda. Los dos empleados, Vicente Sanchez Lopez y Ruben Cruz Kanter, quienes estaban en el rancho avisaron los duenos por telefono celular y de una vez las autoridades fueron avisados, incluyendo la oficina de Seguridad Publica, el Delegado de Gobernacion en Ocosingo, El Secretario de Gobierno, y la oficina del Gobernador del Estado. A las 8:30 de la manana llegaron elementos de la Seguridad Publica a las ruinas de Tonina pero no pudieron entrar al Rancho Esmeralda por falta de un orden del Secretario de Gobierno, Emilio Zebadua, quien se encontro no disponible. Despues llegaron representantes de la S.E.P.I. Y del Delegado de Gobierno en Ocosingo pero no entraron al Rancho Esmeralda ya como el rancho estaba rodeado por Zapatistas.

Los duenos de Rancho Esmeralda avisaron a las autoridades de la amenaza de invasion por primera vez el 13 de Diciembre despues de que ellos estuvieron citados a una reunion por la comunidad Nuevo Jerusalen en donde les avisaron del cierre del acceso por carretera a todos los clientes, visitantes y proveedores de Rancho Esmeralda y les exigieron la escritura del rancho. Paso un mes y media de hostigamientos y amenazas por parte de los Zapatistas mientras los duenos buscaron una solucion pacifica. El 29 de Enero los vecinos cerraron el paso total para los del Rancho Esmeralda y pusieron un candado puesto en el porton ilegal que impidio paso en la via publica, la Carretara San Juanito.

Regresando al rancho el dueno, Glen Wersch, fue atacado con piedras por un grupo de los Zapatistas con la intencion de detenerlo y agarrarle. El 30 de Enero un empleado, Ernesto Cruz Kanter, fue secuestrado y golpeado por los Zapatistas y le soltaron con una nota escrita dirijido al dueno del Rancho Esmeralda que dijo "no se juega, no te queremos aqui, proxima vez se iba mas peor si no se entiende". Con estos actos de violencia y amenazas de mas se cerro el centro turistico Rancho Esmeralda a todo turismo. El 29 de Enero Ellen Jones, la esposa de Glen Wersch, levanto una acta de denuncia en contra de la comunidad Nuevo Jerusalen por el secuestro de Ernesto Cruz Kanter y las amenazas de invasion del rancho.

Entre los duenos y el personal del Rancho se han mantenido posession del rancho ya por todo el mes de Febrero; hasta hoy en la manana cuando los Zapatistas entraron. De los dos empleados los Zapatistas exigieron las llaves de los edificios y los empleados se les entregaron. Los Zapatistas revisaron cada edificio grabando todo que se encontro con camera de video. Al fin de cuentas dejaron salir los dos empleados con sus cosas personales pero nada que pertenece al rancho.

Las autoridades tuvieron conocimiento de la amenaza de invasion del Rancho Esmeralda por mas de dos meses. La denuncia en contra de la comunidad por secuestro y por amenaza de invasion tiene un mes. Habia oportunidad amplia para evitar la toma de este centro turistico pero el gobierno no hizo nada. Al contrario hace 10 dias en una reunion en su oficina en Tuxtla Gutierrez el 19 de Febrero el Secretario de Gobierno del Estado de Chiapas, Emilio Zebadua, dijo claro a los duenos del Rancho Esmeralda que el estado no iba a quitar el porton ilegal ni meter policia para proteger el rancho.

Los duenos, Glen Wersch y Ellen Jones, permanecen en Ocosingo buscando una solucion justa de este conflicto. Hoy mismo estan haciendo una denuncia en contra de Nuevo Jerusalen por la toma del Rancho Esmeralda. "Tuvimos que salir a la fuerza de nuestro hogar, nuestro negocio de ecoturismo esta destruido, y ahora tomaron el rancho", dijo Ellen Jones, "Ha pasado un robo en pleno sol con aviso escrito en adelante por dos meses. No tenia que pasar todo esto. Buscamos justicia.