Unit 7 Notes

Zapatistas

Picture Analysis

• What exactly do you see in the photograph?

• How are the people dressed?

• What are they doing?

• Imagine that you are in the picture. What would you hear? What would you smell?

• Prediction: What happened right before this image?

• Prediction: What happened right after this image?

Picture 1

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Who are the Zapatistas?

a group of Mexicans who support improved rights & living conditions for Mexico’s indigenous people

The Zapatista Army was foundedNovember 17, 1983

Where does the name “Zapatista” come from?...

Emiliano Zapata

• 1880-1919

• poor sharecropper of Mayan descent

• hero in the Mexican revolution of 1914-1915

• Fought for justice for the indigenous people of Mexico

The Zapatista movement began in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

Why Chiapas?

• It’s a resource-rich state in southern Mexico:– produces over half of Mexico’s hydroelectric

power

– 2nd largest petroleum producing state

– Largest coffee exporting state

• So what’s the big deal there?

What’s the Big Deal?

• Chiapas has the worst rates of poverty in Mexico:– three-fourths of its people are malnourished, half live

in dwellings with dirt floors

– 19% of the population has no income

– 39% earn less than minimum wage ($3/day)

• Chiapas is a huge contributor to the global economy (water, oil, etc.), but is getting little in return.– huge division between rich & poor in the state

Zapatistas’ Concerns

• Zapatistas want to eliminate the division between the social classes in Chiapas (wealthy vs. poor)– They argued that the indigenous people of

Mexico needed more help to improve healthcare, housing education, & jobs.

• They have tried to peacefully negotiate with Mexico’s government, but the agreements have not solved the peoples’ problems…

• .

Subcomandante Marcos"The natural wealth that leaves these lands doesn't travel over just these three roads (leading to Chiapas). Chiapas is bled through thousands of veins: through oil ducts and gas ducts, over electric wires, by railroad cars, through bank accounts, by trucks and vans, by ships and planes...And what tribute does this land continue to pay to various empires? Oil, electric energy, cattle, money, bananas, honey, corn, cocoa, tobacco, sugar, soy...and Chiapan blood flows out through a thousand and one fangs sunk into the neck of southeastern Mexico."

What is Guerrilla Warfare?

• sudden, unexpected acts carried about by groups that fight using “hit and run” tactics– Many terrorist groups employ guerrilla warfare.

NAFTA & the Zapatistas…

• 1994—North American Free Trade Agreement came into effect & allowed free trade between US, Canada, & Mexico

• Some people in Mexico did not like this plan:– thought that NAFTA would allow cheap farm goods to

come into Mexico from the US– thought NAFTA benefitted the wealthy and hurt the

poor Native American farmers by lowering prices of crops like coffee and corn

– farmers in Mexico would not be able to compete with the cheaper food

NAFTA & the Zapatistas…

• On the day NAFTA took effect, the Zapatistas took over 7 towns in state of Chiapas.

• The Mexican army was sent to remove the Zapatistas.

• fighting lasted for several weeks, & a cease-fire eventually ended the fighting

• Zapatistas did not go away

Armed Takeover in Chiapas01/01/94

Latest Developments

• Seven years after the 1st revolt, on March 11, 2001, the Zapatistas marched to Mexico City and addressed Congress.

• They encouraged the passage of an Indigenous Rights Bill.– Unfortunately, the bill was unsuccessful due to

Congress radically changing it and denying indigenous people certain rights.

Latest Developments

• January 2003: Rose up again armed with machetes denouncing neoliberalism (free trade policies), ecotourism, foreign investment and plans for war with Iraq– have aggressively detained several foreigners in

an effort to deter foreign investment