Narco News: The Other Journalism With The Other Campaign

On The Road with Zapatista Subcomandante Marcos and the Simple and Humble People Who Fight.

Source: Narco News: The Other Journalism With The Other Campaign

 

Official EZLN site

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 voice, although not their leader, is Subcomandante Marcos (currently a.k.a. Delegate Zero in relation to the "Other Campaign"). Unlike the Zapatista comandantes, Subcomandante Marcos is not an indigenous.

In 2000, the EZLN renewed its revolt, declaring control of a number of villages and sending a delegation into Mexico City. While the delegation did not obtain everything it sought due to opposition in Congress, which the support of President Vicente Fox was not able to overcome, the villages remain under Zapatista control, in large part due to the resilience of local villagers and their unwavering support of the group. In August 2003, the EZLN declared all Zapatista territory an autonomous government independent of Mexico. Since then, the armed EZLN has been laying low to some extent working on the government level to implement health care and educational institutions in poor rural indigenous communities that had until then been ignored and discriminated against by the central government. Wikipedia

Chiapas - Background Materials

"In the mountains of Chiapas, death was a part of daily life. It was as common as rain or sunshine. People here coexist with death, death of their own, especially the little ones. Paradoxically, death begins to shed its tragic cloak, Death becomes a daily fact. It loses its sacredness. You see it as someone you sit down with at the table, like an old acquaintance. You don't lose you fear of death, but you become familiar with it. It becomes your equal. Death, which is so close, so near, so possible, is less terrifying for us than for others. So, going out and fighting and perhaps meeting death is not as terrible as it seems. For us, at least. In fact, what surprises and amazes us is life itself. The hope of a better life. Going out to fight and to die finding out you're not dead, but alive. And, unintentionally, you realize you are walking on the edge of the border between death and life. You're walking on the edge of the border between them." More at Wikipedia.

Subcomandante Marcos (no oficial) website

"It is in the cultural sphere that Zapatismo has been able to find open audiences and echos that speak their own dignity. In music, particularly in rock, in the visual and scenic arts, in literature and in science we have met good people, humane even, who follow their own path of dignity. So we would like to take this opportunity to salute all those who, through cultural activities, are fighting for humanity."

Speech given by Subcomandante Marcos on Monday, March 12 2001