MEXICO: Bishop Samuel Ruiz who became a mediator to end the uprising of Mexico's Zapatistas , dies

Record ID: 303563

  • Title: MEXICO: Bishop Samuel Ruiz who became a mediator to end the uprising of Mexico's Zapatistas , dies
  • Date: 25th January 2011
  • Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (JANUARY 24, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR "ANGELES HOSPITAL" FUNERAL CARS OUTSIDE HOSPITAL VARIOUS OF FUNERAL CAR LEAVING HOSPITAL FUNERAL CAR IN STREET MORE OF FUNERAL CAR IN STREET VARIOUS OF MASS HELD IN MEMORY OF MEXICAN BISHOP SAMUEL RUIZ SALTILLO BISHOP RAUL VERA GREETING WOMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SALTILLO BISHOP RAUL VERA, SAYING: "Don Samuel died today because he eroded his life in favour of justice, peace and love in a unique and generous way, without limits." MORE OF PEOPLE AT MASS VERA TALKING TO WOMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SALTILLO BISHOP RAUL VERA, SAYING: "Don Samuel leaves a very strong force. Our faith tells us that he, in the face of God, is now an intercepting force. I never lived so close to such a fair person as him." FLOWER WREATH LEFT FOR BISHOP SAMUEL RUIZ MORE OF FLOWER WREATH
  • Embargoed: 9th February 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico, Mexico
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,People
  • Reuters ID: LVA9PADP3MJ77OBVDCNW086M7X14
  • Story Text: Mexican Bishop Samuel Ruiz, who mediated an end to the Zapatista rebel uprising and was seen as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995, died in hospital on Monday (January 24) aged 86, his family said.
    Ruiz was credited with ensuring the bloody revolt in the southern state of Chiapas in 1994, in which 150 people died, was short-lived, eventually pushing the government and rebels to agree ceasefires and piecemeal peace accords that helped stifle the conflict.
    A Mass in Mexico City was held for Ruiz after he passed away at a private hospital called "Hospital Angeles," located towards the south of Mexico City.
    "Don Samuel died today because he eroded his life in favour of justice, peace and love in a unique and generous way, without limits," said Saltillo Bishop Raul Vera.
    "Don Samuel leaves a very strong force. Our faith tells us that he, in the face of God, is now an intercepting force. I never lived so close to such a fair person as him," he added.
    U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid tribute to Ruiz during a one-day visit to Mexico on Monday.
    Mexican President Felipe Calderon also praised Ruiz, who died of a respiratory infection in Mexico City.
    Masked Zapatista leader Subcomandante Marcos launched the armed struggle for indigenous rights on Jan. 1 1994, emerging from a jungle lair to briefly capture the attention of the world's media with his signature black ski mask and pipe.
    The Zapatistas have lost much of their influence inside Mexico, while Marcos has turned to writing romantic fiction. But the movement still inspires leftist groups in Europe.
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