Rebels Withdraw

POLHO, Mexico (AP) — Nearly 200 families have abandoned the Zapatista rebel movement in one of its strongholds, turning to the government for aid at a time when the insurgents are complaining about the loss of outside support.

On Wednesday, each family received initial payments of $43 in a ceremony with Salvador Escobedo, a top official with the federal government's Social Development Department. The government is promising similar payments every two months, as well as a school and medical center.

The ceremony in Polho, long a backbone of the Zapatista movement, appeared to be the most prominent desertion from the insurgency since 2004, when about 400 families in the unofficial rebel capital of La Realidad broke away to accept government help, dividing the village in two.

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Imporstance: This article shows that Mexico is slowly moving to a more legitiment government. The rebel groups are not even able to keep a following. Take that with the fairly smooth Presidential election and Mexico seems to be headed in a new direction.

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Flooded and Moving

Villahermosa, Mexico - At first Socorro Osorio considered herself fortunate. When the flooding put nearly 70 percent of the state of Tabasco under water last November, many had no workplace the next morning. In her case, the home where she labored as a cleaning lady survived the flood.

But the single mother says she couldn't leave her three young children alone in their flooded home. Her employers found a new cleaner. "I'm trying hard to find something else, to bring food to my kids, but it's not easy," says Ms. Osorio.

Three months after one of Mexico's worst natural disasters hit this petroleum-rich state in southern Mexico, signs of normalcy abound. The roads are navigable, the debris is cleared. Of 158,656 people once living in shelters, only a fraction remain homeless. Last week, the last food supplies were distributed by the state. New homes are on the rise, and of the 10,000 companies that were forced to temporarily shut down, many have been renovated and reopened.

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Importance: It is a good sign that after such a large nartural disaster the citizens of Mexico are bouncing back and rebuilding. It is also good to see the government assisting those in need.

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