Mexico: The Zapatista Revolution
Mexico: The Zapatista Revolution
In the southernmost corner of Mexico, there is a beautiful, bountiful, and extraordinary place that is called Chiapas. One of Mexico’s 31 states, Chiapas is probably the greenest of them all, with so much lush vegetation and stunning landscapes over 74,415 square kilometers of land.
Within this beautiful setting live many different indigenous groups, such as the Tzotzils, Tzeltals, Ch’ol, Zoques, among many more. Chiapas has been their home for centuries and they have kept their culture, traditions, and languages alive despite all the many threats from outside of their communities. The sad fact is that these indigenous groups have suffered such oppression, injustice and racism over the years that their way of life is continuously under threat.
In 1994, a guerrilla group came down from the mountains of Chiapas and announced the beginning of a revolution: the Zapatista revolution. They demanded better rights for the indigenous population, in terms of work, health, education, dignity, and respect. They were tired of the way they had been treated by the Mexican government and society and their message to them was: ‘enough is enough.’
They wanted the world to know their suffering and to help them in their movement. For a while, they were a hot topic in the media and it seemed that everyone was talking about the Zapatistas. They were able to secure meetings and even agreements with government officials, which was promising to begin with, and then it became evident that nothing truly beneficial would come from any of this, as the government had no real intention to fulfil their promises.
So in 2003, the Zapatistas took matters into their own hands and established their own Zapatista communities in parts of Chiapas. Within these, they set up schools for the children, healthcare units, irrigation systems and even their own municipal governments, where members of the community could take turns in the official decision making of their home town. There are a few of these, and they still exist today. It is clear that the intentions of the Zapatistas were good and in the interest of the people’s wellbeing.
But the success of the movement is debatable. These Zapatista communities show that they have done very well in improving their living standards, and they also did well to raise global awareness of these issues. On the other hand, there are many people in Chiapas who disagree with the Zapatista movement or who argue that the way they carry things out is wrong. It seems that there is no serious fighting going on, but there is still tension and uneasiness within the state. What is obvious is that there is still much to be done to bring equality to the people of Chiapas – with or without the assistance of the Zapatistas.
Comments
I think i know what we all know,you know big hats from Maxico.....and that is all....poor education about Maxico...
i like films on mexico
Chiapas is the greenest place in mexico.It is very beautiful.
Lots of indigenous have suffered through the years abuse and opression and this doesn´t seems to change any time near and it´s a shame that this still happens when they have so much to teach us like ancestrals medicines that they have been using along decades.
But not eveything is that bad we are good people and I love my country, it has everything you can dream of beaches,forests,jungles and many differents animals but which I love the most is the food and you can find differents type of dishes through the Country.
My favorite dish is "cecina enchilada" and my favourite drink " agua de horchata"
I love Mexico because is a wonderful country with a big culture.Ilike too their language and the clothes that they were......
I know that Mexico City is a very beautiful country .............
I know a lot about Mexico. I was in Acapulco once, and it was great. Mexicans are very hospitable people, outgoing and very interesting. You'll never feel bored in Mexico, there you can find a great entertainment. People are always smiling and it's very pleasantly there. I tried their food, it's delicious, but too spicy for my taste. Anyway, I am looking forward to visiting it again.
Maline, I see you love your country very much. Nice to hear that;). I have drunk agua de horchata and I like it.
Maline, I heard that people in Mexico celebrate Day of dead people and for that occasion, they go to cemetery in the evening and eat food and have a kind of celebration. Is that true?
Yes something nice we go to cemeteries on November the first and November the second to share food with all our passed away people and we preparate them theri favourite meal like for example my grandfather´s favourite dish was mole Have you tried it? Maybe not because it´s spicy and many foreign people think it´s a strong flavor,anyway we bake a bread called "pan de muertos",it´s a round shaped bread wit sugar and stripes on it and it has orange,anis,butter and water it´s very delicious.
P.S. on 1 November we go to cemeteries to share the food with our passed away children an on 2 November for de adults.
Sorry if I didn´t answer you before but i hadn´t seen your question.
Hi, Maline
Thanks for your reply:) I haven't tried mole yet, and I don't like spicy food, but Mexican kitchen is very interesting for me, especially tortillas.
What's your favourite Mexican dish?
<3
That´s a tough question for me to answer,I have lots of favourite dishes one are the "tlayudas" from Oaxaca have you ever been there?,it´s a huge tortilla wich has on top "asiento" (it´s like butter but salty and it´s brown and it´s delicious) then you put "cecina" (pork meat marinade with chili and other spices) and some avocado slices and finally you ad the "salsa" (tomatoes,chili,onion,salt),I preffer red salsa and an horchata water and you´re reday to have a meal that you will never forget.
and what about you what´s your favorite meal?
Hi, Maline
Thanks for your reply. I've never been in Oaxaca before, but I heard for tlayudas. My favourite meal is salmon with plenty of vegetables. It's easy and fast to prepare, and above anything, it's so healthy and delicious.
<3
hi something nice cuold you tell me a traditional dish in Serbia and a beverage?
Hey, Maline:)
Serbian cuisine is very versatile, we have plenty of dishes, but it's too heavy for my taste. Serbians eat meals made from meat the most, and since I'm a vegetarian, I can't eat it. For example, sarma is the symbol of Serbian cuisine. It's made from meat and cabbage leaves, but you can add rice if you want.
People prepare it for every celebration, and there's no person who haven't tried it. Proja is also one of our traditional dishes, it's made from flour and cheese, and we usually eat it with yogurt. My grandmother prepare it very often.
Ajvar is also one of the signs of Serbia, it's called Serbian salad, and it's made from red bell papers and with chilly papers. The best ajvar is produced domestically, but it can also be found in the markets. My grandmother makes it every year. It can be consumed as a bread spread or as addition to meals.
The most popular beverage is our traditional rakija. It's Serbian alcoholic drink and it's prepared by ethanol fermentation. There're many kinds of rakija, but sljivovica is the most popular, and it's made from plum, Serbian fruit. The black coffee is also very popular, and vine. Vine is produced in the Northern Serbia the most.
How old are you?
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hello something nice thanks for answering my questions,proja sounds delicious, is it a dessert?
I don´t like coffee i´ts very strong for me I prefer sweet things.
Here in México a famous drink is "tequila" and "mezcal" have you tried them?
I´m 17
Hello, Maline:)
Proja isn't a dessert, it's usually eaten for breakfast and for dinner, it's kind of pastry. I haven't tried tequila and mezcal, but I heard about it, especially about tequila, it's very famous. I don't like alcoholic drinks, so I'll probably never try it:). I'm 16 years old, 17 in a month. So, we're almost coevals:). What kind of music do you like listening?