Zapatista Army of National Liberation

The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional, EZLN) is an armed revolutionary group based in Chiapas, one of the poorest states of Mexico. Their social base is mostly indigenous but they have supporters in urban areas as well as an international web of support. Their most visible leader by far is Subcommander Marcos.

Related Topics:
Revolution - Chiapas - States of Mexico - Subcommander Marcos

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The Zapatistas went public in 1994 with the initial goal of overthrowing the Mexican government. Short armed clashes in Chiapas ended two weeks after the uprising and there have been no full-scale confrontations ever since. The Mexican government instead pursued a policy of low-intensity warfare with para-military groups in an attempt to control the rebellion, while the Zapatistas developed a media campaign through numerous newspaper comunicados and over time a set of six "Declarations of the Lacandonian Jungle", with no further military or terrorist actions on their part. A strong international internet presence has prompted the adherence to the movement of numerous leftist international groups.

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Government talks with the EZLN culminated in the San Andrés Accords (1997) that granted autonomy and special rights to the indigenous population. President Zedillo however, ignored the agreements and instead increased military presence in the region. With the new government of President Fox the Zapatistas marched in 2000 towards Mexico City to present their case to the Mexican Congress. Watered-down agreements were rejected by the rebels who proceeded to create 32 autonomous municipalities in Chiapas, thus partially implementing the agreements without government support but with some funding from international organizations.

Related Topics:
San Andrés Accords - Mexican Congress - Municipalities

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In July 2005 the Zapatistas presented the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandonian Jungle. In this new Declaration, the EZLN called for an alternative national campaign in opposition to the current presidential campaign. In preparation for this alternative campaign, the Zapatistas invited to their territory over 600 national leftist organizations, indigenous groups and non-governmental organizations in order to listen to their claims for human rights in a series of biweekly meetings that culminated in a plenary meeting in September 16, the day Mexico celebrates its independence from Spain. In this meeting, Subcomandeer Marcos requested official adherence of the organizations to the Sixth Declaration, and detailed a 6 month tour of the Zapatistas through all 32 Mexican states that will take place concurrently with the electoral campaign starting January 2006.

Related Topics:
July 2005 - Sixth Declaration of the Lacandonian Jungle

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Some consider the Zapatista movement the first post-modern revolution: an armed yet non-violent revolutionary group that incorporates modern technologies like satellite telephony and the Internet as a way to obtain domestic and foreign support. They consider themselves part of the wider anti- economic globalization movement.

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