México, March 2000.
Note : This web page has been updated until 2002, but the zine is dated from 2000. So, lot of this information is old, but at the last link you can look for refreshed information. Even more, this zine was writen before the zapatista caravan that crossed the country, 2001. For this infos, you can consult any indymedias searching by "zapatista" as keywords.
Here´s the first part of this failed zine. As other projects, they couldn´t see the light, it´s the case of the zine OPORNIK (but you can see it in this page), and the Purple Circus , other project of zine that interviewed two zapatistas in hunger strike in Mexico City. This interview can be seen by clicking here.
All people have their opinion about zapatistas. Some from their Right Wing Angle, others from their leftist sight. So, this is not my personal sight , (that can be discussed as any other), but it´s a cronology from 1994 to 1997, of what has been happening with the Zapatista Army in these years. This little introduction is to put in clear some things that must be known before getting inside the topic:
Chiapas is more than a war where the only thing sinked is ink. After january first of 1994, zapatista indigenous people opened our eyes, not only in México nor in America, but in all the whole world’s conscience. They’ve shown us that a war can be , at the same time, political, intelectual, cultural, militar, and it has not sense to fight if you don’t have any knowledge. Now, we students, indigenous, poor , workers, join our voices to say "¡ Ya basta!" . Anyway, zapatism has changed our lifes, and the way we live this life. There are still people who kiss the hand of these who explodes them; there are also people who disagree with the system, but don’t do anything for changing the situation (Coca Cola intellectuals); others, understand zapatism like another fashion, and don’t even know basic concepts about anarchy, marxism, or self-government. Or whatever. We, the other, maybe don’t know enough about our history, or how to change the situation, but, we use our energy, hearth, soul, mind and actions to change this world, and not only shouting "¡ Ya Basta!" ... Maybe we’re utopists, but it’s more worth than living in the same world. I thibk uthopies make our lifes have some sense.
History has shown us that almost all revolutionary movements are infiltrated or tried to de directed by burgeosy. We must remember mexican movements from independecy in 1821, directed by the spanish church, mexican revolution that ended in a Constitution and a party that governed for almost 70 years, Trotsky, etc... but there are also people who really know what explotation is, it’s enough by mentioning people like Proudhon, el Ché, Ghandi, the zapatista indigenists...so, revolution comes from below and not from fat, ocious parlamentarist people who only change the laws to "minimize" the explotation, nor from authoritary leaders who feel they’re gods: Castro, Lenin, Stalin, Mao... The zapatista struggle is greater because they don´t only rise up the socialist or comunist flag, but they practice the counterpower. It´s good as the leftists went down becaue of their autoritarian practices and their square and dogmatic philosophy.
Zapatistas take their stuggle (in some ways) from magonism anarchy. But Ricardo Flores Magón had an international sight for freedom and Zapata had only a local sight for the struggle. Both two were right, but they did not agree. Before the conflict in 1994, even their poverty, the Chiapas pupulation had the practice of self-governmnt, some say they lived with the anarchism. But criminal laws, racism, and specially the sign of NAFTA by Carlos Salinas de Gortari destroyed awfully that kind of living, and forced federal government to be even more poisonous.
In television, and other communication ways, is said, once and again , that, "because of the dialog" federal government has put roadways, clinics and schools: let’s see some observations:
EZLN never asked for roadways, clinics and schools. They wanted their autonomy to live with dignity, freedom and justice. When have you heard that zapatistas´ struggle was for the public services they haven´t had for years?
Those roadways are being built for militar reasons, to let the way easier to federal and statal fascist army. It´s known that the violence is created by government, by robbing lands, killing, violating, provocations... We nust remember the massacre in Acteal, where 45 indigenous were killed,
PFP ( Federal Preventive Police ) was created with the only purpose of stopping social movements, as a maquiavelic contrainsurgency and repression weapon against poor people. There are lots of evidences: on february sixth they destroyed universitary autonomy and jailed almost 700 students; later, by may, even satelite emmissions told the opostitte version of "fires", they went to "stop those fires". And in 2001, the Federal Police gave us (me included) a democracy lesson, when they, next to municipal and state cops broke a demonstration against the World Economic Forum in Cancun, leaving in the streets, with no reason, almost 30 demonstrators injuried, 70 arrested, including 13 journalists. This is the Federal Police. (More info on the PFP >>)
The Cronology of Zapatist Uprising was written by Paulina Fernández from the FZLN (Zapatista Front). and translated by periódico EL GRITO on March 2000
Finally, I must thank them (zapatistas) for making people feel that a better world is possible, for doing the struggle a way of life, not only in the political sight, but in our whole lifes. There are lots of people that should realice the world is not as good as it´s shown on TV. The way is long, but as a philosopher said once:
"The road of a thousand kilometers long begins with the first walk".
Land and Freedom (Ricardo Flores Magón, and after, the flag from Emiliano Zapata.)
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