The Amnesty

Recently, Mexico’s indigenous populations celebrated 30 years of the Zapatista Uprising – a turning point for indigenous rights in Mexico and across the rest of the world. 

On January 1st, 1994, when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was implemented in Mexico, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) declared their condemnation of the Mexican government, storming the region of Chiapas. 11 days later, a ceasefire was agreed upon.

Violent protest was their last resort. Members of the group had exhausted all peaceful means of rebellion: demonstrations, marches, petitions, were all ignored by Mexican authorities. Indigenous people faced incredibly impoverished conditions, and their situation only seemed to be declining. 

The EZLN’s goal was clear: to protest Mexico’s rising neoliberalism and the simultaneous persecution and mistreatment of its indigenous population. Specifically, there were two policies by the government that prompted the rebellion. Firstly, the state was introducing neoliberal economic reforms to integrate Mexico into NAFTA, and secondly, a land reform bill was introduced which aimed to privatise ejidos, or communal agricultural land typically used by indigenous people. 

The rebellion was immensely effective, with both explicit and implicit consequences. 

They were influential in pressuring the state to eventually provide indigenous Mexicans with the right to self-determination. While social inequalities faced by indigenous Mexicans remain rampant, the pressure placed on the Mexican state urged them to create federal agencies solely focused on indigenous rights. 

The rebellion and consequent political reform not only improved democracy in Mexico, but also gave indigenous groups a sense of strengthened identity. The world had its eye on Mexico in 1994 – this urged the country’s population to acknowledge its rich cultural diversity. In 2014, a Zapatista spokesperson told a representative of the Observer,

“Today we have an identity. […] We were forgotten. Now we are known by everyone.”

The revolution provided different indigenous populations in Mexico with a common goal, encouraging them to collectively mobilise against the state, and this was quite effective in bringing about reform. It was a moving display of the true power of indigenous solidarity.

While they have not officially disarmed, today the Zapatistas have largely shifted to peaceful methods. They currently focus on advocacy, building international solidarity, and cultural and educational programs. They remain committed to their original demands for indigenous rights, land reform, and social justice. While they still have a long way to go, the EZLN revolution was and remains a significant influence on social movements. It powerfully exhibits the effectiveness of social movements, resistance and solidarity. 

Malvika Murkumbi