Peasants loyal to Zapatista rebels occupied Rancho Esmeralda, a resort outside the town of Ocosingo in Chiapas state owned by two former Peace Corps workers. The Zapatistas have criticized eco-tourism and foreign investment, and have been advocating land redistribution and actively taking over ranches in the area since their uprising in 1994. The peasants had been threatening to take over the ranch since December, and when little was done to stop them they acted Feb. 28. No one was injured in the takeover. The owners of the ranch, which is listed in guidebooks as one of the best places to stay in Mexico, had already moved to town.
