Background: Emiliano Zapata & The Plan de Ayala
Emiliano Zapata (1879-1919): Zapata is famous for being one of the leading figures in the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). He is best known and remembered for his role in bringing down the crooked dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz in 1911.
Although considered a mestizo (mixed decent), Zapata fought for the rights and the land of the indigenous people in his hometown of Morelos. He was passionate, idealistic, and persistent in his pursuit of land reform. In 1910, after spending much time campaigning for the rights of villagers and against the blatant bias of land policy in favor of the wealthy plantation (or hacienda) owners, he grew agitated with the government’s slow response. Before Zapata was able to make real progress peacefully, unrest broke out amongst guerilla bands. It was at this time that Zapata assumed the important role of general of the Liberation Army of the South (Ejercito Libertador del Sur). He seized the opportunity to settle the land dispute by employing armed force to take it back.
At the same time, Díaz’s power was being threatened by the candidacy of Francisco I. Madero. Zapata, who saw this as an opportunity to spark genuine change in Mexico, forged a quiet alliance with Madero. When Díaz was finally overthrown by Madero, largely due to the widespread guerilla and peones (lower class) rebellions, various new land reforms (outlined in Madero’s Plan of San Luís) were carried out and fair elections were conducted. To Zapata’s disappointment, however, Madero did not share his vision for returning land back to the people.
In response to Madero’s plan, Zapata and his supporters drafted their own plan, the Plan of Ayala. This plan condemned Madero’s plan and served as a public declaration of the opinions and objectives of their movement, known as Zapatismo. Madero would not advocate the Plan of Ayala and, adding insult, he appointed a governor who supported and favored the already wealthy plantation owners. In response, Zapata mobilized his Liberation Army once again. Madero made several failed attempts to immobilize Zapata’s troops.
While Zapata established the Plan of Ayala in his home state and some stolen lands were restored, he was assassinated before it could be implemented on the grand scale that he imagined. He has not been forgotten, however, through the Plan de Ayala, his dream of land reform is still alive today. His revolutionary legend and his fight for land rights have become a uniting force for the Mexican rural class. In fact, in January of 1994 when the modern day Zapatista Army of National Liberation, or the EZLN (Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional) rebelled against the Mexican Government, they did so in the spirit of completing what Zapata’s untimely death left unfinished.
Although considered a mestizo (mixed decent), Zapata fought for the rights and the land of the indigenous people in his hometown of Morelos. He was passionate, idealistic, and persistent in his pursuit of land reform. In 1910, after spending much time campaigning for the rights of villagers and against the blatant bias of land policy in favor of the wealthy plantation (or hacienda) owners, he grew agitated with the government’s slow response. Before Zapata was able to make real progress peacefully, unrest broke out amongst guerilla bands. It was at this time that Zapata assumed the important role of general of the Liberation Army of the South (Ejercito Libertador del Sur). He seized the opportunity to settle the land dispute by employing armed force to take it back.
At the same time, Díaz’s power was being threatened by the candidacy of Francisco I. Madero. Zapata, who saw this as an opportunity to spark genuine change in Mexico, forged a quiet alliance with Madero. When Díaz was finally overthrown by Madero, largely due to the widespread guerilla and peones (lower class) rebellions, various new land reforms (outlined in Madero’s Plan of San Luís) were carried out and fair elections were conducted. To Zapata’s disappointment, however, Madero did not share his vision for returning land back to the people.
In response to Madero’s plan, Zapata and his supporters drafted their own plan, the Plan of Ayala. This plan condemned Madero’s plan and served as a public declaration of the opinions and objectives of their movement, known as Zapatismo. Madero would not advocate the Plan of Ayala and, adding insult, he appointed a governor who supported and favored the already wealthy plantation owners. In response, Zapata mobilized his Liberation Army once again. Madero made several failed attempts to immobilize Zapata’s troops.
While Zapata established the Plan of Ayala in his home state and some stolen lands were restored, he was assassinated before it could be implemented on the grand scale that he imagined. He has not been forgotten, however, through the Plan de Ayala, his dream of land reform is still alive today. His revolutionary legend and his fight for land rights have become a uniting force for the Mexican rural class. In fact, in January of 1994 when the modern day Zapatista Army of National Liberation, or the EZLN (Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional) rebelled against the Mexican Government, they did so in the spirit of completing what Zapata’s untimely death left unfinished.
Background: The EZLN
Borrowing their name and ideology from Emiliano Zapata, The Zapatista National Liberation Army, or the EZLN (Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional), gained public attention by launching their first offensive against the Mexican Governement on January 1, 1994, the day the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect. Led by Sub-commander Marcos, hundereds of masked guerilla soldiers stormed and seized several towns and cities in the Mexican state of Chiapas, the most famous of these being the city of San Cristobal, and issued their First Declaration from the Lacandon Jungle and their Revolutionary Laws. They issued this declaration on behalf of the indigenous peoples to seek justice in the form of food, land, education, and free and fair elections.
The Mexican military retaliated against this declaration and there were many Zapatista casualties before the ceasefire on January 12, 1994. Over the next year, the territory that the Zapatistas took in their siege changed back into the hands of the Mexican Government. Since 1995, the Zapatistas have been in slow moving talks with the Mexican Government. This stalemate has unfortunately had a divisive effect on the numerous indigenous and political groups in Chiapas, pitting village against village, often resulting in bloody violence. This is viewed as unfortunate to the Zapatistas as their strength is in solidarity.
“Ya Basta!” or “Enough” has been the battle cry of the EZLN. This motto represents the tensions that motivate the EZLN, which trace back to the days of the Spanish Conquistadors and have culminated with the adoption of NAFTA. These modern day Zapatistas claimed that NAFTA incentivized the government to take advantage of the indigenous population and ignored their needs and rights to the land they work while it favored the wealthy, further widening the already sizeable gap between rich and poor.
From the mid 1980s until 1994, the Zapatista’s had peacefully battled to uphold article 27 of the Mexican Constitution, which is intended to protect the Indian communal holdings from sale or government privatization. However, under NAFTA, this article is considered an obstruction to investment and trade. Therefore, Article 27 was removed, leaving indigenous farmers to face the possibility of losing their remaining lands and their jobs with the influx of cheap products being imported from the U.S. into Mexico. The EZLN saw the Mexican government as illegitimate and unable (perhaps unwilling) to understand the needs of its citizens. It is for all these reasons that the Zapatistas rallied behind the motto of “Ya Basta” and why they were ultimately moved to an armed rebellion that led to a declaration of war on the state of Mexico on January 1, 1994.
The EZLN calls for true democratization of the Mexican Government, which has essentially been a dictatorship under the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) for over 70 years. Under the control of the PRI, the indigenous decedents have gravely suffered, the rich have gotten richer and the poor are getting poorer. The PRI has ignored the land reform mandated by the 1917 constitution, which has lead to the exploitation of natural resources. The Zapatistas do not ask for independence, but for the ability to govern their own people and resources, so that those who work the land receive the benefit for doing so. The Zapatista movement is a movement of, for, and by the people.
The original goal of the EZLN was to instigate revolution throughout Mexico. While this goal was not achieved, they have garnered world-wide attention via the internet for their movement and have been able to gain concessions from the government by drawing awareness to the injustices that the indigenous people of Chiapas, Mexico are all too familiar with.
The Mexican military retaliated against this declaration and there were many Zapatista casualties before the ceasefire on January 12, 1994. Over the next year, the territory that the Zapatistas took in their siege changed back into the hands of the Mexican Government. Since 1995, the Zapatistas have been in slow moving talks with the Mexican Government. This stalemate has unfortunately had a divisive effect on the numerous indigenous and political groups in Chiapas, pitting village against village, often resulting in bloody violence. This is viewed as unfortunate to the Zapatistas as their strength is in solidarity.
“Ya Basta!” or “Enough” has been the battle cry of the EZLN. This motto represents the tensions that motivate the EZLN, which trace back to the days of the Spanish Conquistadors and have culminated with the adoption of NAFTA. These modern day Zapatistas claimed that NAFTA incentivized the government to take advantage of the indigenous population and ignored their needs and rights to the land they work while it favored the wealthy, further widening the already sizeable gap between rich and poor.
From the mid 1980s until 1994, the Zapatista’s had peacefully battled to uphold article 27 of the Mexican Constitution, which is intended to protect the Indian communal holdings from sale or government privatization. However, under NAFTA, this article is considered an obstruction to investment and trade. Therefore, Article 27 was removed, leaving indigenous farmers to face the possibility of losing their remaining lands and their jobs with the influx of cheap products being imported from the U.S. into Mexico. The EZLN saw the Mexican government as illegitimate and unable (perhaps unwilling) to understand the needs of its citizens. It is for all these reasons that the Zapatistas rallied behind the motto of “Ya Basta” and why they were ultimately moved to an armed rebellion that led to a declaration of war on the state of Mexico on January 1, 1994.
The EZLN calls for true democratization of the Mexican Government, which has essentially been a dictatorship under the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) for over 70 years. Under the control of the PRI, the indigenous decedents have gravely suffered, the rich have gotten richer and the poor are getting poorer. The PRI has ignored the land reform mandated by the 1917 constitution, which has lead to the exploitation of natural resources. The Zapatistas do not ask for independence, but for the ability to govern their own people and resources, so that those who work the land receive the benefit for doing so. The Zapatista movement is a movement of, for, and by the people.
The original goal of the EZLN was to instigate revolution throughout Mexico. While this goal was not achieved, they have garnered world-wide attention via the internet for their movement and have been able to gain concessions from the government by drawing awareness to the injustices that the indigenous people of Chiapas, Mexico are all too familiar with.