Zapatista Army of National Liberation

thanks to the wonderfully outspoken renegade Zack De La Rocha, I was able to forget about my own, quiet and uneventful country, shedding the stereotype of most Aussie teenagers, and become immersed in Mexican politics. 

The 'Zapatista Army' has been actively participating in a war "against the Mexican state" since 1994.  The was has been primarily nonviolent and defensive against military, paramilitary and corporate incursions in the Chiapas.
The group takes its name from Emiliano Zapata, the commander of the Liberation Army of the South during the Mexican Revolution. He is seen as it's ideological heir, along with Che Guevera and Subcomandante Marcos.
The social basis for this group is mostly indigenous Mexicans, of Mayan decent, in rural areas. However there is an urban following, along with international support. 


The Zapatista Army is reflective of libertarian socialist politics, with both anarchist and libertarian Marxist. Though in many aspects they have rejected and defied political classification. It has remained being distinctive mainly due to the importance placed on indigenous Mayan beliefs. 


The Army connects  itself with the wider alter-globalization, anti-neoliberal social movement, seeking indigenous control over their local resources, especially land.
Since their 1994 uprising was countered by the superior military might of the Mexican army,  The Zapatista have abstained from offensively using their weapons and adopted a new strategy that attempts to garner both Mexican and international support.


A Zapatista slogan is in harmony with the concept of mutual aid: "For everyone, everything, for us, nothing" (Para todos todo, para nosotros nada).


The Army is against economic globalization as it negatively affects the 'peasant way of life' that indigenous Mexicans live.   
Another key element of the Zapatista ideology is their aspiration to do politics in a new,participatory way, from the "bottom-up" instead of "top-down." The Zapatistas consider the contemporary political system of Mexico inherently flawed due to what they consider its purely representative nature and obvious disconnection from the people and their needs.

And now for the feminist in me to express admiration for the Army's increadible 'Law' on how women should be treated:-
Women's Revolutionary Law

From the First Declaration from the Lacandon Jungle, the Zapatistas presented to the people of Mexico, the government, and the world their Revolutionary Laws on January 8, 1994. One of the laws was the Women's Revolutionary Law, which stated:

1. Women, regardless of their race, creed, color or political affiliation, have the right to participate in the revolutionary struggle in any way that their desire and capacity determine.
2. Women have the right to work and receive a fair salary.
3. Women have the right to decide the number of children they have and care for.
4. Women have the right to participate in the matters of the community and have charge if they are free and democratically elected.
5. Women and their children have the right to Primary Attention in their health and nutrition.
6. Women have the right to an education.
7. Women have the right to choose their partner and are not obliged to enter into marriage.
8. Women have the right to be free of violence from both relatives and strangers.

The Zapatista Army evokes the use of 'tatical media' to draw attetion to political issue.  “the important thing is the spectacle that you make out of an event in the media, as opposed to the event itself".
This form of media has proved succesful, as people world wide are aware of the Army and what they stand for. 

alb,
x