EZLN: The Path of the Zapatista Movement 40 Years after its Foundation
A look at the trajectory of the Zapatista movement since its foundation in 1983 to the current transformations taking place within its autonomous civil structures
Autonomy
The Turns of the Caracol
In a period of anniversaries and transition, Uruguayan environmentalist Silvia Ribeiro takes a look at the past, present and future of the Zapatista movement.
Ninth Part: The New Structure of Zapatista Autonomy
Subcomandante MoÃses explains what we all have been waiting for.
“I am going to try to explain to you how we reorganize autonomy, that is, the new structure of Zapatista autonomy. I will explain more later with more detail. Or maybe I won’t explain any more, because the practice is what matters.”
Coordination and Monitoring Committee of the CNI-CIG Reports Actions of Discrediting and Criminalization of MAIZ
The National Indigenous Congress denounces attempts to discredit, delegitimize and criminalize the Zapatista Indigenous Agrarian Movement (MAIZ) through attempts to link it to organized crime.
The Congress further states that, ”as indigenous peoples, Zapatistas and non-Zapatistas, we continue and will continue to resist against the repression that the state exercises through the Armed Forces, the National Guard and the police forces and now against the wave of terror sown by the cartels and the paramilitaries supported by federal and state governments. And we will continue to rebuild autonomous living systems without capitalism or patriarchy that guarantee a dignified life for future generations.”
Chiapas: New Blood, Old Wars
Carlos Santos Cid provides an analysis of the current context in Chiapas which includes the increasing presence of organized crime, the process of remilitarization, and the links between these and megaprojects, such as the Mayan Train. He examines the historical background since the Zapatista uprising and the counterinsurgency low-scale war using paramilitaries. He pulls these threads together and gives some hope as to a way forward. ”We believe that the strongest option is from below: communities have the possibility through peaceful alternatives to shield themselves, understanding that this war for control is not only an armed one, it is also cultural. We must rebuild and strengthen the social fabric.”