Latin America

The Zapatistas: The Last Modern Revolution

The following is the narrative from a “short film”:

 

Call to arms, upheaval, uprising, rebellion, insurrection, change;Whatever you call it all refers to the same idea, one word that shook worlds, toppled governments, and changed the lives of people forever: Revolution.
The Zapatistas, sure their names sound familiar, but who are they? What do they stand for in this crazy world of ours? The first true revolution in the post-modern world, brews in the green heartland of Chiapas Mexico, organized by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation or EZLN and its spokesman undoubtedly being the charismatic and iconic Subcommadante Marcos.

The Zapatistas are not all about that famous revolutionary and his pipe. Its roots run deeper; much deeper. Lets take a step back to an earlier date. In 1910 during the heat of the Mexican Revolution with Emiliano Zapata and his band of the landless peasant riding against the current government calling for land, liberty, and justice. The Zapatistas, as Zapata’s followers were called still seem to live on in the heart of the EZLN, they feel they are the “ideological heirs” to Zapata.            

Why do they want to go against the old system? The answer simply lies in Chiapas. This area in the south of Mexico holds vast green forests and the homes of indigenous people of mostly Mayan descent. Usually in Mexican society and government, the indiginenous population is looked down upon. Since the enforcement of the constitution of 1917, they have felt disenfranchised from any benefits that the government had to offer. Since the time of the ejidos, the indigenous wanted to own their land. But with the crisis’s of 1982, the issues of land redistribution and organization were clearly pushed aside for more important matters. This left the indigenous population in a situation of continual desperation, which would worsen with the later signing of NAFTA. It was from this state of uncertainty that the EZLN grew out of from FLN guerillas and the indigenous of eastern Chiapas in November 17, 1983. Their structure consist of a 23 commander and one sub-commander Revolutionary Indigenous Clandestine Committee which makes up the collective leadership of the Zapatistas. The Zapatistas control nearly a quarter of Chiapas and use Councils of Good Government which organize and somewhat legislate these areas of influence, by using a system of representation made up of the people who are rotated in 2 week terms which in a sense gives every person in the village direct representation. They finally when public in January 1, 1994 at the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA between Canada, US, and Mexico.

In Article 27 section VII of the Mexican constitution guarantees land reparations to the indigenous but with the signing of NAFTA, these provisions became null and void. Gortari, the president at the time felt that with opening trade, Meixco’s economy would benefit greatly. This “benefit” came at the expense of the indigenous population who were now no longer guaranteed their land holdings.

The Zapatistas stand for the indigenous, anti-globalization, and anti-neoliberalism, feeling that treaties such as NAFTA hurt the small indigenous farmers who can’t compete with mechanized corporate farms and end up losing their land. A mesh of Marxism and anarchism makes up the crux of their ideological belief system but they don’t hold strong to any one ideology. Their idea of a complete overhaul of the government’s system would be one that would do politics from the bottom up rather than the other way.

To address the Zapatista movement would be incomplete without mention of one of their most notable commanders. What would the Zapatistas be without Marcos? Little is known about Marcos except rumors that surround the mysterious revolutionary. Allegedly Mexican officals consider his true identity to be that of one Rafael Sebastian Guillen Vicente of Tampico the son of Spanish immigrants, educated in early on about Liberation Theology in Jesuit school then going to obtain a philosophy degree at the University of Mexico. The Tlatelolco Massacre of 1968 where the police and military shot student demonstrators became a defining factor in his life. This event took his political ideologies for a turn towards the left becoming a militant in a Maoist organization and finally emerging as one of the most influential figures of the Zapatista movement.

As said by Marcos himself, life in Chiapas for an “outsider” was difficult at first.
“Imagine a person who comes from an urban culture. One of the world’s biggest cities, with a university education, accustomed to city life. It’s like landing on another planet. The language, the surroundings are new. You’re seen as an alien from outer space. Everything tells you: “Leave. This is a mistake. You don’t belong in this place.” And it’s said in a foreign tongue. But they let you know, the people, the way they act; the weather, the way it rains; the sunshine; the earth, the way it turns to mud; the diseases; the insects; homesickness. You’re being told. “You don’t belong here.” If that’s not a nightmare, what is?” (A Place Called Chiapas)

             Subcommadante Marcos’s defining moment being the 1996 cease fire talks with the Mexican government under President Carlos Salinas de Gortari after the Zapatista’s first armed insurrection, a march towards Mexico City beginning in January of 1994 and finally ending in defeat in February of 1995 with a surprise raid of Zapatista strongholds by the Mexican Army. The San Andreas Accords were signed in 1996 guaranteeing autonomy of the indigenous and other special rights. This seemed like a victory in the eyes of the people until President Zedillo sent more troops to Chiapas put a hold on the spreading influence of the Zapatistas. The military presence proved to be more than negative. Rumors of abuse committed by the Army including the killing of Zapatistas and their supporters started spreading. And the paramilitary group ironically called peace and justice began committing heinous crimes against the population and sent death threats to anyone they deemed to be a sympathizer.

All the while the Zapatistas dawned a policy, being sworn to not lift their gun in aggression. In the mean time they started a new campaign, one that the used the most powerful weapon of all, the Internet. Communiqués and news of the movements actions started to spread as they started the revolution again but this time in through one of the most massive information portals in the world. Their support base increased drastically spanning from the United States and North America to Europe. This rag-tag team of ski mask clad, red bandana dawning fighters soon took their place in world politics. In this new era the Zapatistas, as they pursue a new route of non-violence through the Other Campaign, in which they promote the reform to the constitution by adding clauses that address the prohibiting the privatization of land and giving autonomy to the populations of indigenous in Mexico. Even Subcommadante Marcos was on the move promoting the word of the Zapatistas in various cities around Mexico in his January 2006 tour under the assumed name Delegate Zero.

             The Zapatistas continue to oppose the government and its policies against the indigenous and its treatment of the indigenous population as written by Subcommadante Marcos in his current communiqués. Also, the Zapatistas have tried to incorporate women in politics and in their own personal leadership as seen with the famous Subcommadante Ramona. Both these goals are radical in their very fabric as most Latin American countries traditionally excluded the indigenous population let alone women from government and professional positions. Trying to co-op both groups and successfully accomplishing it is quite a remarkable feat for any revolutionary group.

But will the Zapatistas ever reach the goals the set out to accomplish? As said by Subcommadante Marcos:

“…We will resist. Even though we suffer in resisting, even though they attack us, even though they imprison us, even though they kill us, even though they tell lies about us, we will not permit the governments actions that cause death, misery, neglect, and fear. And if we do this, its not just for you. We do this for the millions of Mexican men and women who are poor like us. They deserve that the nation’s wealth benefit them and not the government and its gang of thieves.” (Marcos)

And thus, the legendary fighters of Chiapas live on to continue their fight against a government that has disfranchised its people.

© 2008 Metropolis Lights.