Originally aired on The Final Straw

This past January 1st marked the 21st anniversary of the Zapatistas’ emergence. On New Year’s Day, 1994, masked guerrillas, some carrying wooden rifles, descended from the foggy mist of the Lacandon Jungle in southern Mexico. They called themselves, pardon the accent, El Ejercito Zapatista Liberacion de Nacional– the Zapatista National Liberation Army.
They took their name from Mexican Revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who was betrayed and assassinated in the Revolution of 1914– his assassination marking a pivotal turning point. The ruling elite recuperated the revolution, and for 80 years continued to push the poor and indigenous off of their lands– all in the name of progress and profit.
Then, the same day that NAFTA came into effect, Zapatista rebels swept down out of the mountains, seized 12 towns, shot the corrupt officials, and chased off the predatory landlords. And then, in a masterful strategy, they held a press conference. Continue reading →