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Title: Who was Emiliano Zapata Author: Dermot Freeman Date: 7 February 1994 Language: en Topics: Zapatistas, Workers Solidarity Source: Retrieved on 11th December 2021 from http://www.wsm.ie/c/who-was-emiliano-zapata-anarchist Notes: Published in Workers Solidarity No. 41 — Spring 1994.
ON THE FIRST day of 1994 a group calling itself the Zapatista National
Liberation Army [EZLN] launched an uprising in the Chiapas State of
Mexico. They are fighting the dictatorship of Carlos Salinas de Gortari
and are calling for “free democratic government”. The first of January
was the date upon which the North American Free Trade Agreement was to
come into operation and their is a widespread belief amongst the mainly
Indian EZLN that this will only lead to further poverty.
The Chiapas state in Mexico is one of the poorest areas. Almost 35% of
the population is without electricity. Up to 50% of the land is still
owned and controlled by a handful of large landowners. The EZLN
proclamation states “We the dispossessed, number in the millions and we
call be on our brothers to join us as the only way to avoid starving to
death as a result of the insatiable ambitions of a dictatorship that has
lasted more than 70 years...” The Mexican authorities have severely
dealt with the EZLN. There have been summary executions of captured
rebels and villages in the mountains near San Cristo’bal have been
attacked with cannon and helicopters. As in all dictatorships the cry
for democracy is met with brutal force by the existing powers.
The name of the rebels is inspired by the great Emiliano Zapata who
played a very important role in the Mexican Revolution {1910–1921}.
Zapata was an Indian from the Morelos region. He joined the army after
being caught as a highway man. His other option was to be shot. After
his release in 1910 he supported the Liberals and had to take to the
hills when they lost the elections despite having more votes. He became
the leader of an army of peasants and they fought and defeated the
tyrant Don Porphyry. Then the liberal Francesco Madero came to power,
speaking of freedom of the Press and democratic elections. Zapata
published a charter which called for “Land and Liberty”. Despite many
promises not much changed and eventually power struggles broke out
again.
In the course of the following years Zapata in the south and Pancho
Villa in the north defeated many power mongers who tried to grab the
reins of power. Yet, despite many opportunities Zapata never took
control himself. “A strong people do not need a government” he once
said. He was influenced by the manifesto drawn up by Ricardo Flores
Magon [Mexico’s leading Anarchist at the time, who was later to die in
an American Prison].
In the manifesto issued by Zapata and signed by 35 officers in August
1914 he wrote “It (the country) wishes to destroy with one stroke the
relationships of lord and serf, overseer and slave, which in the matter
of agriculture are the only ones ruling from Tamaulipas to Chiapas and
from Sonora to Yucatan”. Evidently there are some in Chiapas who still
wish to destroy the relationship which Zapata spoke off 80 years ago.
During the revolution the Zapatistas destroyed public papers, deeds,
property transfers, titles and mortgages in the hope that the land would
return to the only true owners, the people. In 1918 Zapata was lured
into an ambush and killed.
The EZLN are named after a man who said “Hang onto your guns and they
can never take the land away from you”. Today, in 1994, the EZLN are
saying “We will not turn in our arms! We want justice not forgiveness
nor alms!”
[Missing paragraph]
Zapata went to his grave believing the Mexican people were closer to
justice but in 70 years the demands remain similar and revolutions must
still be fought. After the Mexican revolution they got a government and
still no democracy. The only way people can ensure freedom and democracy
is by taking power for themselves and not placing it back into the hands
of the politicians. This is one of the lessons that Zapata learned in
his brave life.