Evangelicals' children are not allowed to attend school and the adults cannot go to their jobs. In its annual review of religious freedom around the world for 1999, the U.S. State Department reports that in Chiapas religious diversity is viewed as a threat to the indigenous culture. The report noted that municipal authorities in San Juan Chamula, Chiapas, have expelled 30,000 evangelicals in the last 30 years. The pope has aggravated the situation by expressing alarm about the growth of Latin American evangelicalism. During his 1999 visit to Mexico, Pope John Paul II urged Catholics to vigorously defend their faith against Protestant sects that have made inroads in Latin America.
Dialogue continues, but with much uncertainty.
Members of the Zapatistas, a guerrilla group that started with an armed uprising in Chiapas in 1994, say they are not interested in reconciliation. So far they have not taken part in Sterk's meetings. You can only invite them to join the process. So, we'll continue to invite them. The evangelical church is steadily becoming a visible presence in Mexican society.