Zapatista anarcho communist revolution

The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (El Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional) is an anarcho communist army that is based in Mexico, mainly the poorest state in Mexico, Chiapas. In 1994, January 1st, they started their revolution and it has been increasingly successful throughout the years. Today, they are attempting non-violent struggles because the people told them too -- they are truly an army of the people. However, both the people and their army are realizing how unsuccessful that tactic is.

Their ideology, Zapatismo, is a mixture of indigenous teachings, autonomism, anarchism and communism. Although other revolutions are going on in the world (like the Southern African anarcho communist movement), the Zapatista revolution was deemed the first modern revolution of our time and it's bringing hope to people not only in Mexico, but around the world.

Social revolutions are widespread - just never spoken about by the capitalist media ''public and private''. Its important for the elites that the scale of dissatisfaction with the current mode of social organization is kept hidden from the people.

if there can be a revolution in mexico...there can be one anywhere!

Isaiah wrote:

if there can be a revolution in mexico...there can be one anywhere!

i disagree. the factors which create a revolutiona re absent in first world countries. there is visible dissatisfaction in third world countries, but in first world countries it's hidden behind the veils of capitalism.

i do think however that a revolution in south Amerika and africa will trigger strong movements in the US and maybe even Europe. what we have to do is spread information about these movements and become as active as possible in our community and in politics.

Cheveyo wrote:

The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (El Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional) is an anarcho communist army that is based in Mexico, mainly the poorest state in Mexico, Chiapas.

Well, as far as i know, they've never stated that they were anarcho-communist. Their ideology came from the people of the mountains. They were a MList group to begin with, and were fairly confused, even amongst themselves, as to what it meant to be Marxist-Leninist. When they came to Chiapas the people couldn't understand what they were saying, almost as if it were a foreign language. The villagers accepted their aid on one condition: The rebels would come to the city, without their weapons, and listen, not speak. And so it was that the autonomous communities converted the rebels. So instead of the rebels guiding the people, the people guided the rebels.

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Today, they are attempting non-violent struggles because the people told them too -- they are truly an army of the people. However, both the people and their army are realizing how unsuccessful that tactic is.

Where did you hear this? They are not engaging in "non-violent struggle", they are building their autonomy. It's a learning process, and is likely to take quite a while. They began building after the Indian Wrongs bill passed through congress. After that, they decided that they would be autonomous, whether or not the mal gobierno approved. I believe that was in 2001(?), but i may be mistaken. Since then, they have established the JBG's, or juntas, an efficient way to guide their autonomy with more efficiency. If you look at the numbers, they have been pretty successful.

And as far as the people telling them to be peaceful, that's just wrong. In fact, they are the people. The Zapatistas are farmers just like the rest of the community, so don't make them out to be a seperate entity. Also, it isn't so much "non-violence" (considering we're all constantly in a state of violence), cos there has been violence in the mountains, mostly with asshole PRD-PAN-PRIistas who wish to see their autonomy fail (for reasons that are evident enough). It's more that the Zapatistas use their silence as a weapon, just as much as their voice and their muscle.

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Their ideology, Zapatismo, is a mixture of indigenous teachings, autonomism, anarchism and communism.

Again, i don't know that they have made a claim, but there are certainly elements of anarchism and communism.

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Although other revolutions are going on in the world (like the Southern African anarcho communist movement), the Zapatista revolution was deemed the first modern revolution of our time and it's bringing hope to people not only in Mexico, but around the world.

True that. They're an inspiration to all those around the globe in a very similar situation. Their corn is threatened by the mal gobierno much as the Olives of Palestine are threatened by Israel's mal gobierno (and not to mention the youth gangs who go around burning their crops and throwing rocks at them during their picking season (Israel gives them a couple of weeks before they start again bombarding the shit outta them). The palestinians, the people of the mountains, and others in similar situations and landscapes take the offensive against their crops as an offensive against themselves; they consider it genocide.