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CHIAPAS REBELLION.
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Analyzes causes, events, consequences, political & socioeconomic aspects of Mexico uprising of 1994-1995.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Analyzes causes, events, consequences, political & socioeconomic aspects of Mexico uprising of 1994-1995.
Paper Introduction:
CHIAPAS REBELLION
This research paper describes and analyzes the Chiapas rebellion in Mexico in 1994-1995, what happened and why and the consequences. This outbreak of violence in the state of Chiapas did not represent a spontaneous indigenous uprising nor did it represent a serious military threat to the Federal government; however, because of when and where it occurred and its aftereffects, including the government's reaction and other events, it helped accelerate political change in Mexico and reflected the severe economic and social stresses which were associated with the economic restructuring and modernization of the country.
Uprising and Reactions
On January 1-2, 1994, six days after Mexico ratified the North American Free Trade Agreements (NAFTA), a force of 1000-
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Fox says that "land . "On the Verge of Peace Talks Mexican Government Shifts Tactics on Chiapas Rebels." Christian Science Monitor, 1, 18.Simpson, Charles and Anita Rapone. Trouble was, however, brewingin Chiapas in the late 198 s and early 199 s. 8Meyer, Michael C. Sherman, The Course of MexicanHistory (New York: Oxford University Press, 1991), 678, 683-684. The favorable results in the closely contested 1988 presidentialelection in the crooked but safe district of Chiapas helped Salinas and PRIwin and further entrenched the power of the local caciques or villagepolitical bosses and their landowner and cattle rancher allies. Endnotes 1Juanita Darling, "Mexican Revolt in 2nd Day: 65 Dead." Los AngelesTimes, 3 January 1995, Al, A9. 17Fehrenbach, 638. 27Europa World Yearbook 1995 Volume II, "Mexico." 2 85. Landreform has made little progress. "Why Did Chiapas Revolt?" Commonweal, 3 June 1994, 16-19.The Europa World Yearbook 1995 Volume II, "Mexico." London: Europa Publications, 1995, 2 62-2 87.----------------------- 1 would have to contend witha restless, restive younger generation increasingly unwilling to accede tothe present guardians of the Republic."17 However radical their true goalsmay be, ELZN leaders have been very effective in moderating them andenlisting the support of broad sectors of the Mexican population, who werefed up with one party-PRI rule and impatient with the slow pace of socialreform in large areas of Mexico. Uprising and Reactions On January 1-2, 1994, six days after Mexico ratified the NorthAmerican Free Trade Agreements (NAFTA), a force of 1 -3 armedguerrillas seized control of San Cristobal de las Casas, the capital, and ahandful of other towns in the State of Chiapas in the southeastern cornerof Mexico.1 The rebels called themselves the Zapatista Army of NationalLiberation (EZLN) after Emiliano Zapata, one of the leaders of the MexicanRevolution of 191 , who called for the return of land to the peasants. Total casualties inthis phase were estimated to be about four hundred.3 On January 12,Salinas announced a unilateral ceasefire and offered peace talks. 2 "Hard line, hard landing." Economist, 18 February, 1995, 4 . 3Juanita Darling and Tracy Williamson, "Mexican Troops Step Up Driveto Crush Revolt." Los Angeles Times, 8 January 1995, Al; Europa WorldYearbook 1995 Volume II, "Mexico" (London: Europa Publications, 1995),2 64. Samuel Ruiz, who has beenthe Catholic bishop of Chiapas for the past 3 years and whose "LiberationTheology" was clearly sympathetic to the rebel goals, served as a mediator.(He also persistently criticized the government's approach tonegotiations.) The government made a major concession by allowing therebels to keep their arms until the August elections, agreed to step up aidand promised to consider various EZLN demands. 18Victor Perera, "Mexico on the Cusp." Los Angeles Times, 14 August1994, Ml. The fighting was over in twelve days. "The Man Behind the Mask." Newsweek, 2 February 1995, 38.Scott, David Clark. It is populated largely bypeasants with little or no land, 59 percent of whom earn less than $3 amonth. Peasants seized two hundred tothree hundred thousand hectares of disputed land.21 Violence increased.EZLN increased its control over the towns. Some reporters who covered the Chiapas revolt were surprised thatresidents in some towns rejected the rebels or turned them over to thearmy.12 Anthropologist Richard Nye said that "the rebels are not all ofthe Indians or even a majority."13 The government, concerned about itsinternational image, spread disinformation that the revolt was inspired byforeign revolutionaries and lacked indigenous roots. The assassination on March 23, 1994 PRIPresidential candidate Donald Colosio and later of the PRI SecretaryGeneral, and revelations about the lack of impartiality in theinvestigations of them, lent force to the movement for political reform andenhanced EZLN's credibility. . . 12Juanita Darling, "Some Indian Towns Reject Mexico Rebels." LosAngeles Times, 9 January 1994, Al, A6. 25Anthony De Palma, "Mexican Talks Break Off Until May With NoAccord." New York Times, 25 April 1995, A 11. BibliographyCockburn, Alexander and Ken Silverstein. Fire and Blood. "Mexico on the Cusp." Los Angeles Times, 14 August 1994, M 1.Podgett, Tim. 23Howard La Franchi, "How a Year Changed Chiapas." Christian ScienceMonitor, 3 January 1995, 6. Fehrenbach, Fire and Blood (New York: Macmillan, 1973), 29. slated forredistribution is often invaded by ranchers or given to progovernmentpeasants organizations."1 Simpson and Rapone said that "the statecriminal justice system is used to repress Indian peasants protesting theseizure of their lands."11 Elections were an outright fraud. After the elections, EZLN setup a rival administrative machinery in San Cristobal, including their ownputative governor.22 La Franchi said that "the truce-marked over the yearby rising and falling tensions and various attempts at negotiations-neverseemed closer to collapsing into fresh fighting than in mid-December."23At first Zedillo restrained the army and attempted to reopen negotiations.When that effort failed, he reverted to a harder line, which Cockburn andothers attributed to a combination of domestic political and internationalfinancial pressures.24 In December, 1994, Mexico suffered a fifteenpercent devaluation of the peso and had to be rescued temporarily by theAmerican fifty billion dollar bailout package. . "Mexican Revolt in 2nd Day: 65 Dead." Los Angeles Times, 3 January 1995, Al, A9.Darling, Juanita. In late February and early March, a government team headed by aformer Mexico City mayor met with rebel leaders. 7Tim Golden, "In Remote Mexican Village, Roots of Rebellion AreBared." New York Times, 17 January 1994, Al, A8; Enrique Krauze, "Zapped."New Republic, 31 January 1994, 9. R. The illiteracy rate is over 3 percent. New York: Macmillan, 1973.Fineman, Mark. Fourdays of talks in the village of San Andres Larrainzar in April, 1995 failedto lead to an agreement. "Zedillo Bowed to Conservative Forces with Chiapas Crackdown." Los Angeles Times, 18 February 1995, A9-1 .Fox, Jonathan. 22Leon Lazaroff, "Mexican Standoff: Rebels Set Up Separate Governmentin Chiapas." Christian Science Monitor, 12 December 1994, 6. Sherman. However,Chiapas had not been significantly involved in the revolution of 191 norhad large-scale peasant revolts occurred there such as had taken place inthe western state of Guerrero in the 198 s. Perara said that the uprising and the Colosioassassination "have exposed the fragility at the core post-revolutionarystructure."19Crowds in Mexico the PRI's . post-revolutionarystructure." Crowds in Mexico City chanted: "We are all Marcos."2 With the army's hands tied, conditions of semi-anarchy developed inChiapas in the summer and fall of 1994. Thegovernment had encouraged landless peasants to move to public rainforestlands, but their "slash and burn" farming merely stripped the rainforestand resulted in low yields. . 5Tim Golden, "Rebels in Mexico Spurn Peace Plan From Government." NewYork Times, 13 June 1994, Al, A1 . Army maneuvers and checkpoints around rebel bases were increased. "Mexican Troops Step Up Drive to Crush Revolt." Los Angeles Times, 5 January 1994, Al.De Palma, Anthony. 6T. This resulted in only onecasualty, an army Colonel who was killed by a sniper. 13Ibid., A6. 4David Scott Clark, "On the Verge of Peace Talks Mexican GovernmentShifts Tactics On Chiapas Rebels." Christian Science Monitor, 9 February1994, 1, 18. "The Demands of Capital." Harper's Monthly, May 1995, 66-67.Darling, Juanita. Large reserves of petroleum had beendiscovered in the post-war period in Chiapas and adjacent areas but hadbeen largely undeveloped due to the collapse of world crude oil prices inthe early 198 s.8 Mexico's economic development by-passed Chiapas.Falling world commodity prices are likely to be accelerated by NAFTA whichELZN called a "death sentence" for the Mexican people.9 In the five years before 1994, the Federal government had increasedits anti-poverty expenditures in Chiapas five-fold to $15 million, butthey had little impact, largely because of corrupt administration and thedomination of the economy and politics by the ruling groups. Simpson and Anita Rapone, "Why Did Chiapas Revolt?"Commonweal, 3 June 1994, 17. "How a Year Changed Chiapas." Christian Science Monitor, 3 January 1995, 6.Lazaroff, Leon. Less than 2 percent ofthe homes have running water and a third electricity.7 The economy ofChiapas is based on large coffee plantations and cattle ranches. 19Perera, Ml. The good news is that the standoff in the jungle did notdeteriorate into civil war or a fundamental breakdown of Mexico's capacityto govern itself. The government refused,however, to negotiate with EZLN national electoral reforms. It was alsotrue that the EZLN leadership was non-indigenous. "Mexican Talks Break Off until May with No Accord." New York Times, 25 April 1995, A 11.Fehrenbach, T. and William L. The EZLN-Government Impasse The Chiapas revolt still simmers in Mexico even though it has beenlargely overtaken by other events. 26"Mexican Officials Begin New Talks with Rebels." New York Times, 25July, 1995, A5. "Rebels in Mexico Spurn Peace Plan From Government." New York Times, 13 June 1994, Al, A1 ."Hard line, hard landing." Economist, 18 February 1995, 4 .Krauze, Enrique. 14Timothy Podgett, "The Man Behind the Mask." Newsweek, 2 February,1995, 38. 9Fox, 32. The truth is that thegoals of EZLN were supported by a great many people in Chiapas, especiallyin the impoverished eastern part where the revolt occurred. "New Zapatistas Sullying Memory of Their Namesake." Wall Street Journal, 21 January 1994, A13.Krauze, Enrique. 16Krauze, "Zapped," 9. 11Charles H. Chiapas is the poorest Mexican state. 15Enrique Krauze, "New Zapatistas Sullying Memory of Their Namesake."Wall Street Journal, 21 January 1994, A 13. . Then, Zedillo "flip-flopped." The unpopular conservative governor of Chiapas resigned. Conclusion The Chiapas rebellion was significant primarily because itdemonstrated dramatically the incompleteness of Mexico's continuingrevolution. Thisoutbreak of violence in the state of Chiapas did not represent aspontaneous indigenous uprising nor did it represent a serious militarythreat to the Federal government; however, because of when and where itoccurred and its aftereffects, including the government's reaction andother events, it helped accelerate political change in Mexico and reflectedthe severe economic and social stresses which were associated with theeconomic restructuring and modernization of the country. Salinasinsisted that the revolt was an isolated "local problem which occurred in aregion of profound poverty."4 In early June, EZLN rejected thegovernment's proposals but said they would honor the cease fire until afterthe elections.5 The Roots of the Rebellion Chiapas was both an unlikely and a likely trouble spot. President ErnestoZedillo, who was elected by a narrow margin in August, 1994, revealed inFebruary, 1995 that Sub-Commandante Marcos, the EZLN leader, was a 37 yearold former university professor of northern middle class origins. CHIAPAS REBELLION This research paper describes and analyzes the Chiapas rebellion inMexico in 1994-1995, what happened and why and the consequences. EZLN insisted on the withdrawal of the army andthe government in effect on EZLN's surrender.25 Talks were renewed onseveral occasions in the spring and summer of 1995 but little, if any,progress resulted.26 After 1994, Mexicans have been largely pre-occupied with Mexico'seconomic problems, which led to an inflation rate of forty two percent thisyear and a ten and a half percent decline in GDP in the second quarter of1995.27 The revolt has been relegated to the back pages of the world'snewspapers, but the underlying political and social problems remain. "The Roots of Chiapas." Dollars and Sense, July/ August 1994, 3 -33, 42.Golden, Tim. Another reported source was drug-trafficking which wasendemic in Chiapas. Intheir communique of January 6, EZLN called for economic and social reforms,the resignation of the government of President Carlos Salinas de Gortariand "clean elections throughout the country."2 Caught by surprise, the Federal government initially sent in 12, troops, (one fourth of Mexico's army), backed by tanks and aircraft, to putdown the revolt. 1 Fox, 31. "Zapped." New Republic, 31 January 1994, 9-1 .La Franchi, Howard. It had oncebeen a major center, "the Athens of the Mayan world,"6 of then mostadvanced civilization in pre-Hispanic Mexico, which declined by 9 A.D.The Mayans revolted against mestizo rule in 1712 and 1842-185 . They also helped EZLN raise funds from laborunions and others. 21Simpson and Rapone, 17. "Mexican Standoff: Rebels Set Up Separate Government in Chiapas." Christian Science Monitor, 12 December 1994, 6."Mexican Officials Begin New Talks with Rebels." New York Times, 25 July 1995, A5.Meyer, Michael C. "Some Indian Towns Reject Mexico Rebels." Los Angeles Times, 9 January 1994, Al, A6.Darling, Juanita and Tony Wilderson. 24Alexander Cockburn and Ken Silverstein, "The Demands of Capital."Harper's Monthly, May, 1995, 66-67; Mark Fineman, "Zedillo Bowed toConservative Forces With Chiapas Crackdown," Los Angeles Times, 18February, 1995, A9-1 . Therevolt was given front page news coverage in Mexico and around the world,most of which was critical of the Mexican government's handling of thesituation, including reported executions and other alleged atrocities bythe army. The Course of Mexican History. The PartidoRevolucionario Institucional (PRI) has dominated Mexican politics since1946. . R. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.Perera. 2Jonathan Fox, "The Roots of Chiapas." Dollars and Sense, July/August1994, 31. "In Remote Mexican Village, Roots of Rebellion Are Bared." New York Times, 17 January 1994, Al, A8.Golden, Tim. The rebels meltedinto the jungle after some brief exchanges of fire. Marcos displayed remarkable "ability toturn the mesmerized media into Zapatista mouthpieces."18 2. and William L. Mexican writer Enrique Krause said that "this is not a classicpeasant uprising--a freedom struggle over a concrete agrarian grievance."15 He said that the revolt was "a typical Latin American guerrilla movementin which the Indians are the cannon fodder and their leaders, thecommandantes, supply the quasi-religious ideology and the militarystrategy."16 After the army and security forces killed an estimated four hundredstudents at a mass rally in Mexico City on October 2, 1968, Fehrenbachcommented that "future Mexican governments .
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