Libertarian socialist political and militant group in southern Mexico
Zapatista Army of National Liberation
Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN)
Flag of the EZLN
Also known as
Zapatistas
Leaders
Subcomandante Insurgente Galeano
Comandanta Ramona
Subcomandante Elisa
Foundation
November 17, 1983 (1983-11-17)
Dates of operation
1994–present
Country
Mexico
Headquarters
San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas
Active regions
Chiapas
Ideology
Neozapatismo
Indigenismo
Anti-imperialism
Anti-capitalism
Alter-globalization
Autonomism
Agrarian socialism
Libertarian socialism[1][2]
Radical democracy[3]
Political position
Far-left
Status
Active
Size
About 7,000 active participants and militia; tens of thousands of civilian supporters (bases de apoyo)
Allies
Popular Revolutionary Army (denied by EZLN) ETA (mutual supporters, 1995–early 2000s)
Opponents
Mexican government (Former)
U.S. government (Former)
Gulf Cartel
Sinaloa Cartel
Los Zetas
Jalisco New Generation Cartel
Juárez Cartel
Battles and wars
Chiapas conflict
Website
enlacezapatista.ezln.org.mx
Preceded by National Liberation Forces
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The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (Spanish: Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional, EZLN), often referred to as the Zapatistas (Mexican Spanish pronunciation:[sapaˈtistas]), is a far-left political and militant group that controlled a substantial amount of territory in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico.[4][5][6][7]
Since 1994, the group has been nominally at war with the Mexican state (although it may be described at this point as a frozen conflict).[8] The EZLN used a strategy of civil resistance. The Zapatistas' main body is made up of mostly rural indigenous people, but it includes some supporters in urban areas and internationally. The EZLN's main spokesperson is Subcomandante Insurgente Galeano, previously known as Subcomandante Marcos (a.k.a. Compañero Galeano and Delegate Zero in relation to "the Other Campaign"). Unlike other Zapatista spokespeople, Marcos is not an indigenous Maya.[9][better source needed]
The group takes its name from Emiliano Zapata, the agrarian revolutionary and commander of the Liberation Army of the South during the Mexican Revolution, and sees itself as his ideological heir.
EZLN's ideology has been characterized as libertarian socialist,[2] anarchist,[10] or Marxist,[11] and having roots in liberation theology[12] although the Zapatistas have rejected[13] political classification. The EZLN aligns itself with the wider alter-globalization, anti-neoliberal social movement, seeking indigenous control over local resources, especially land. Since their 1994 uprising was countered by the Mexican Armed Forces, the EZLN has abstained from military offensives and adopted a new strategy that attempts to garner Mexican and international support.
^Prichard, Alex; Kinna, Ruth; Pinta, Saku; Berry, David Berry (2017). "Preface". Libertarian Socialism: Politics in Black and Red. PM Press. ISBN 978-1-62963-402-9. ... in the period since the fall of the Berlin Wall, two events stand out as examples of libertarian socialist experimentation: the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Mexico in 1994 ...
^ abMultiple sources:
Woodman, Stephen (December 2018). "From armed rebellion to radical radio". Index on Censorship. 47 (4): 73. doi:10.1177/0306422018819354. ISSN 0306-4220. S2CID 150150320.
Cardozo, Mario Hurtado (September 23, 2017). "Crisis de la forma jurídica y el despertar antisistémico: una mirada desde el pluralismo jurídico de las Juntas de Buen Gobierno (jbg)". IUSTA (in Spanish). 2 (47): 28. doi:10.15332/s1900-0448.2017.0047.04. ISSN 2500-5286.
Plasters, Bree (January 9, 2014). "Critical Analysis: The Zapatista Rebellion: 20 Years Later". Denver Journal of International Law & Policy. University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
Miner, Aaron (September 19, 2020). "Beyond COVID: Building the Libertarian Municipality". Socialist Forum. Democratic Socialists of America. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
Univision. "El gobierno de Salinas de Gortari buscó una salida militar para acabar con los zapatistas" [The government of Salinas de Gortari sought a military solution to end the Zapatistas]. Univision (in Spanish). Retrieved July 23, 2023.
"EZLN: a 39 años de la creación del grupo revolucionario que desafió al gobierno priísta" [EZLN: 39 years after the creation of the revolutionary group that challenged the PRI government]. infobae (in European Spanish). November 17, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
Pye, Arthur (July 19, 2018). "Socialism Will Be Free, Or It Will Not Be At All! – An Introduction to Libertarian Socialism". Black Rose Anarchist Federation. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
"Mexico: Zapatistas launch caravan for indigenous life". Freedom News. September 11, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
^Day, Richard J. F. (2005). Gramsci is Dead: Anarchist Currents in the Newest Social Movements. Pluto Press. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-7453-2112-7.
^Tucker, Duncan (January 1, 2014). "Are Mexico's Zapatista rebels still relevant". Al Jazeera. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^Knoll, Andalusia (January 30, 2019). "Mexico's Zapatistas Have Been Rebelling for 25 Years". Teen Vogue. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^Villegas, Paulina (August 26, 2017). "In a Mexico 'Tired of Violence,' Zapatista Rebels Venture Into Politics". The New York Times. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^Vidal, John (February 17, 2018). "Mexico's Zapatista rebels, 24 years on and defiant in mountain strongholds". The Guardian. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^Romero, Raúl. "A brief history of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation". ROAR Magazine. Translated by El Kilombo Intergalactico. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
^Gahman, Levi. "Zapatistas Mourn a Death and Begin a New Cycle of Building Indigenous Autonomy". Americas. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
^Krøvel, Roy (January 1, 2010). "Anarchism, The Zapatistas and The Global Solidarity Movement". Global Discourse. 1 (2): 20–40. doi:10.1080/23269995.2010.10707855. hdl:10642/602. ISSN 2326-9995. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
^Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Gunderson 2013, p. 271.
^"A Zapatista Response to "The EZLN Is NOT Anarchist"". Greenanarchy.info. Archived from the original on August 13, 2009. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
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