The Zapatistas

Paper Summary:

The paper labels the Zapatista rebellion in Southern Mexico as unique. Led by Mayan peasants in Mexico's poorest region, the Zapatistas have waged a sophisticated paramilitary and intellectual campaign against globalization. The paper explains that the Zapatista rebellion targets multinational corporate privilege and other large-scale social and political institutions using the Internet as a primary weapon. The paper describes how they appeal to people all over the globe who are directly victimized by globalization and how they promote universal liberty, democracy and accountability. The paper reveals that the Zapatistas are one of the modern world's most notable and admirable grassroots resistance movements.

From the Paper:

"Chiapas is "among Mexico's poorest, most marginalized states," (Ronfeldt, Arquilla, Fuller & Fuller p. 26). For a group of peasant Mayans to register on the international radar would be remarkable enough, given the widespread denigration and ridicule of traditional cultures and ways of life that has occurred as a result of colonization, imperialism, and industrialization. However, the men and women of Chiapas are not anti-technology or even anti-development. In fact, Zapatista soldiers have taken advantage of modern media to garner support. The use of the Internet and information technology has elevated the status of the Zapatista movement from what would typically be labeled a desperate band of guerilla terrorists to a legitimate political group."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Higgins, Nicholas P. Understanding the Chiapas Rebellion. Austin: University of Texas, 2004.
• Katzenberger, Elaine (Ed.). First World, Ha Ha Ha! The Zapatista Challenge. San Francisco: City Lights, 1995.
• Olesen, Thomas. International Zapatismo. London: Zed, 2005.
• Ronfeldt, David., Arquilla, John, Fuller, Graham E. & Fuller, Melissa. The Zapatista Social Netwar in Mexico.Washington: RAND, 1998.
• Womack, J. Rebellion in Chiapas. New York: The New Press, 1999.

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