Mexico’s Zapatista Movement

The Zapatista Movement is a Mexican revolutionary group situated in Chiapas, which is technically Mexico’s poorest state.

Most of the members of this group are indigenous people, although it has been noted that they also have a host of supporters from the urban areas. There are also data showing some international movements are behind them in their endeavors as well.

The spokesperson of the Zapatistas is known only by the name of Subcomandante Marcos. He doesn’t lead the group, but he had made numerous appearances in behalf of it. However, when he presents himself to the media, he covers his face with a ski mask to conceal his identity.

It was believed that the group got its name from Emiliano Zapata, a prominent figure in the Mexican Revolution of 1910. The Zapatista Movement patterns their beliefs and sentiments with that of Emilio Zapata, thereby declaring themselves as Zapata’s ideological heirs. Emilio Zapata is not an educated person.

And this is actually one of the reasons why the Zapata movement took their name after him. But despite being educated, Emilio Zapata was intelligent. And he works along men who possess wisdom and imports some from them. That made him the ideal rebel leader during the Mexican Revolution.

The Zapatista Movement created a stir in the society when they declared war with the Mexican government in 1994. They didn’t fair well in the weapon-for-weapon uprising because the Mexican Army proved to be too strong and too large for them to handle.

But that didn’t stop the movement from continuing their war. So instead of using arms and bullets, they started to use whatever they have, their resources, and the Internet to wage war.

Right now, the Zapatista movement is regarded as post-modern revolutionists. They are sending emails and broadcasting their sentiments to the rest of the world via the internet in order to be heard. And along the way, they are soliciting support from non-government organizations and other solidarity groups. They regard themselves as anti-neoliberalist and are against globalization.