Women soldiers talk with a young Mayan mother and check the health of a young child at Maajon Pepintic near Pholo in Mexico. The military presence is strong in Chiapas, but soldiers are attempting to win the trust of local Indians. Social labor camps opened Dec 23, 1997 after the massacre in nearby Mahomut west of San Cristobal. Now soldiers offer medical treatment and dental care. They repair schools and roads and prepare meals. Approximately 150 people are fed a day--3 meals a day in one camp. Children gave bananas to these soldiers in return. The region is in a conflict between the Zapatista guerrillas and PRI-the government military. Military checkpoints stop every car and search for weapons and demand identification. Of the 3.6 million people in Chiapas, Indians make up 900,000.
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