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Title: Review: Voice of Fire Author: Dermot Sreenan Date: 1995 Language: en Topics: book review, Zapatistas, Workers Solidarity, review, Ireland Source: Retrieved on 24th November 2021 from http://struggle.ws/ws95/ezln44.html Notes: Published in Workers Solidarity No. 44 — Spring 1995.
So reads the first line of Harry Cleaver’s introduction to this 128 page
book about the EZLN (Zapatista National Liberation Army). The EZLN woke
the world up to their struggle on the first day of 1994, when they took
over several towns in the Southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Plenty has
happened since then, including a cease-fire and failed negotiations with
the government.
“Voice of Fire” is important for two reasons. Firstly, it contains
everything that is known about the EZLN. It has all their press
interviews, letters, communiqués, and it has responses to the Mexican
Government’s propaganda. It is the largest and most comprehensive
collection of such material in the English language.
Secondly, this revolt, or uprising comes after the collapse of the
Eastern block, and that is reflected by the libertarian outlook of the
EZLN in the book. They repeatedly say that they are neither “Maoists or
Marxists”.
The speed at which this book was compiled was also important. After the
Russian revolution, it took people years to find out what had really
happened. In our modern world, this book and photo essay was produced
within a year.
“Voice of Fire” begins with “The Southeast In Two Winds”, an essay on
conditions in Chiapas by subcommander Marcos (the spokesperson of the
EZLN). It is a good starting point, as you learn about the conditions of
the indigenous people prior to their turn to arms. The next chapter
covers the revolt of January ’94, along with the revolutionary laws
passed, and the Declaration of War on the Government of Mexico.
Reading this book, I found myself searching for the politics I agreed
with. At first, beauty was most definitely in the eyes of the beholder.
Subcommander Marcos is quoted in the introduction; “Let’s destroy this
State, this State system. Let’s open up this space and confront the
people with ideas, not weapons.” As an anarchist I enjoyed reading these
lines.
But the more I examined the demands of the EZLN, the more contradictions
were found. They say that they are interested in destroying the state,
but they call for the setting up of a transitional government until fair
elections can be held. They also call for the right to “govern ourselves
autonomously because we no longer want to be subject to the will of
national and foreign powers “.
A major factor which came across in the reading of this book was the
apparent democratic structure of the EZLN. The political leadership and
organisation of the Zapatistas comes from the CCRI-GC (Clandestine
Revolutionary Indigenous Committee — General Command). This was formed
as the revolutionary organisation of the EZLN grew.
Javier a member of the Clandestine committee explains it; “..But, as it
advanced, each people has elected its representatives, its leaders. By
making the decision in that way, the people themselves proposed who will
lead these organisations. The people themselves have named us......In
that way we came to be the CCRI.”
Another member of the CCRI-GC, Isaac, says that; “if some member of the
CCRI does not do their work, if they do not respect the people well,
then compa(sic), it is not your place to be there. Then, well excuse us,
but we will have to put another in place. “ So it appears that the EZLN
functions on a delegate based democracy. The EZLN army is subservient to
the decisions made by the CCRI-GC.
This lesson of democracy was learned by the 12 young revolutionaries (of
which Marcos was one) who entered the Lacandona jungle in 1983 to help
the oppressed indigenous population. The indigenous people organise
themselves in a democratic fashion and so this is reflected in the
organisation of the EZLN.
Another factor which came as a surprise to me amongst all the demands
for “Freedom, Justice, and Liberty”, was the humour. Marcos recalls how
on the night of the attack on San Cristobal he was advised by a passing
New Years drunk that he should have waited a couple of days longer, so
that they would get covered in a certain Mexican Newspaper. It appears
that hurlers on the ditch are not confined to Ireland.
People who are interested in revolutionary politics should read this
book and form their own opinions on the EZLN. We have to continually
learn from struggle. The struggle of the oppressed is the struggle of
the left. The quest for freedom requires us to learn from history and
not to repeat mistakes.
The delegate based democracy which the EZLN appear to be practising is a
step in the right direction. It is unfortunate, that despite historic
lessons and the march of time, delegate based democracy, i.e. the will
of the people being the will of the organisation, can never be practised
within the ideology of authoritarian socialists.