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.
November 25th, 2007 at 8:05 am
I would like to help this movment. I am new to help organizations, and activist movements. What can I do to help? I usally just donate money to make-a-wish, and other charitys. But I want to be a part of somthing bigger…somthing worth fighting for, a part of history as to where I can say, I helped make a diffrence with that. I want to make a diffrence. Im know I wont change the world alone, but I know I can help to change the world for a few people. So once again….how can I help?
March 15th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Sunshine,
It is so wonderful that you feel a desire to be a part of something larger and to help humanity to overcome its many ills. Often donating money only throws $ at the problem instead of creating a viable solution. The Zapatista movement is incredibly complex, and “helping” with their movement is a difficult subject. Perhaps the best thing you could do would be to educate yourself more about why they are doing what they are and their own perspectives on the issues at hand. Theirs is a fight for self determination and the right to the land and resources they live on. Theirs is a struggle for individual and community freedom and liberation from oppression and violence. Hence, any act on your part which is liberatory and directly confronts unjust oppression will indirectly help their movement. They are struggling for the same things that many people all over the world are struggling for. Look to your home town and see what sorts of things you can do there (not just giving money to charities who make life barely livable for those oppressed by the larger system of exploitation and violence), such as creating community education programs, supporting local agriculture and community owned alternative energy sources. Theres a pandora’s box of options out there, we each just need to find what makes us feel passionate and excited. But again the most important thing is to educate yourself about the issues. There are a ton of books and movies about the Zapatistas in general as well as the damaging effects of neoliberal globalization. Good luck!
April 12th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Think global - act local!
August 8th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
sooo awesome. if anyone has more info about the zapatista movement plz tell me