Zapatista supporters hack government page
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Experts at virtual war, supporters of Mexico's
Zapatista rebels have hacked into a government home page on the Internet
and defaced it with anti-government propaganda.
The home page for Mexico's Finance Ministry (http://www.shcp.gob.mx)
appeared on Wednesday plastered with pictures of the rebels'
revolutionary namesake Emiliano Zapata.
``We're watching you, big brother!'' one part of the message read in an
ironic reversal of George Orwell's famous phrase warning of government
excess.
The phrase ``X-ploit'' appeared beneath a giant yellow face. A
``parental advisory'' sticker similar to those found on explicit
rock-and-roll records was pasted nearby.
Officials at the ministry could not be reached for comment.
``We belong to no group, we do not belong to the Zapatista Army for
National Liberation, but we are expressing our free expression as
Mexicans,'' said the message, followed by the sign-off ``Zapatista Army
for National Liberation.''
The Zapatistas, who launched a brief rebellion in early 1994, pioneered
use of the Internet by a guerrilla group, creating a home page to
encourage international support. The page can be found on
http://www.ezln.org.
Led by the charismatic, pipe-smoking Marcos, the rebels fighting for
Indian rights and democracy have been locked in fruitless peace talks
with the government for more than four years. A tenuous cease-fire has
held.
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