Customer Reviews

Zapatista!: Reinventing Revolution in Mexico

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This book provides a good introduction to the politics and organization of the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Mexico. The book presents the Zapatistas in the context they have attempted to portray themselves: a movement for human dignity and for the upliftment of all peoples, not merely a movement for the rights of indigenous peoples, as the Zapatistas have been portrayed repeatedly by mainstream commentators and press.

This book does a good job of presenting the incisive social critique of the Zapatistas, dispels some of the myths of the organization of the uprising (like that Marcos is the "leader" of the Zapatistas), and shows some of the more interesting salient features of the Zapatista communities. It shows also the history and political development of the Zapatista movement, as well as a juxtaposition of the Zapatistas with the traditional Left. It emphasizes the resistence of the Zapatistas to the usual power-grabbing method of political change. In short, it does an excellent job of conveying the Zapatista philosophy in a short 200 pages.

on jan 1st 1994 the zapatista liberation army took over 5 townsand 500 ranches in southern mexico. just like in other south american countries american backed death aquads are operating. this again a hidden war. read this book. as subcommandante Marcos said "in the mountains of the mexico souteast, Death is seen as an old acquaintance, someone you continuosly sit down at the table with"