Ss The Leader Of Mexico's Zapatista Rebels example essay topic

f~NWhat is the background of the issue? Why does it exist? It has been 5 years since EZLN has come to the attention of the world by seizing five towns in Chiapas on New Year's Day in 1994. Since then there has only been a couple of weeks of actual warfare. However the uneasy break in fighting has seen hundreds of land occupations, several national and international gatherings.

Thousands, if not more have gone to Chiapas to see the rebellion for themselves. It is known that the EZLN was started in the 1980's by a tiny group of Marxist revolutionaries. However, I can! |t believe that this is only half of the story. Why did the group succeed in taking Chiapas?

In order for them to have done this, the group would have had to abandon their Marxist-Leninist way of thinking. The people of Chiapas had much to rebel against; with the state controlled by nine wealthy families, and where the ordinary people have no rights or security why wouldn! |t they want to rebel? I know I would have too! It was just a matter of time for them to rise up. There were three main reasons as to the uprising of Chiapas. The first reason was the influence of the Liberation Theology.

Contrary to this was the arrival of a new Catholic bishop, Samuel Ruiz. Although, primarily hostile to social radicalism, he soon started a technique started in Brazil, which saw the Church recognize social problems and persuade people to non-violently insist on justice. Quite often these were very basic issues, such as workplace casualties. The second reason was what the EZLN name 'Civil Society'.

By saying this they mean an arrangement of Non-Government Organizations, unions, community projects, political parties and individuals. Numerous amounts of these organizations were formed locally. Following the 1968 mass murder of students in Mexico City several urban activists left to organize in the poor rural areas of Mexico. The result of this was a growing of education projects and peasant organizations all designed to empower a section of Mexican society that was formerly unvoiced. The third reason was a newborn assurance and politicization in the midst of the native people. The Mexican government organized a national indigenous congress, planned to bring together the native people from all over Mexico, in order for them to advance their handicraft production.

This also, unintentionally, provided a platform for the natives to trade their grievances and start a process of national bringing together that would politicize many. (flag. blackened. net) f~NWhat is the current situation as of 2000-2002? f~NWhat has been tried to solve the issue? Successes? Failures? Their have been so many failures by the government to try to stop the Zapatista rebel groups. Mexico's government have made so many false promises and once they think they have gathered the Zapatista's trust Mexico's government has gone and stabbed them in the back. As a result of this, it has made the Zapatista have very harsh opinions and made them second guess trusting the Mexican government; and who could blame them?!?

The Zapatista have been dealing with these false promises and trust for years from the Mexican government. So when the time has come to really trust somebody, is it for real this time or just another chain of lies and disception? You decide. In an article dated December 2, 2000 by Will Weiss ert, ! SS The leader of Mexico's Zapatista rebels said Saturday that he would come out of hiding in the southern jungle and travel to Mexico City to restart peace talks that have been stalled since 1996.

!" The Zapatista leader, Subcomandante Marcos, said this a day after Mexico's new president ordered a truce, pulling back some of his troops from the Zapatista strongholds. During a news conference far into the southern Lacan don Jungle, Marcos stated that he still was reluctant to trust the new president, Vicente Fox, but his actions were a step in the right direction, ! SSa sign of compromises to come. !" ! SS! |The new dialogue begins with deeds, not words.

The new dialogue speaks with the sincerity of actions, ! | read a communique signed by Fox's interior secretary, Santiago Creel, and his Chiapas aide, Luis H. Alvarez. !" Marcos said that Fox's actions were good but that Marcos still could not feel any sort of trust for the man. In a rejected bill that Fox sent to congress to try and get approved, it stated that it would give more control to the Indian communities of their territories, a chance to make their own laws, and elect their own officials according to their customs. Congress rejected the part about the land control, saying that it might jeopardize their national control. To this Marcos said that the Zapatista had no interest in seizing power.

If the war were to end, they would not start a political party, but instead a political organization. (web) f~NWhat do you believe to be a better solution for the future? I think that this might be a huge success and step in the right direction for Mexico's government and the Zapatista to resolve their problems and come to an agreement. Without some kind of compromise, even one as minute as taking down checkpoints, the situations could have gotten worse. I personally think this is a new chapter in the book, possibly the last to the Zapatista rebel groups in Mexico. Although I! |m not sure, we will find out as time goes on.

Although, if this doesn! |t work out and the Mexican government goes back on its word once again, than I! |m not sure if the Zapatista would ever truly be able to gain its trust in the government (not that it has total trust in it as of now). It will take a lot of time and effort to get back a sense of trust between the Zapatista and the Mexican government, but if both parties are ready and willing to take a chance than I think everything will work out. The only thing that I can think of to be a better solution to the problem is to earn and keep the trust of the Zapatista and possibly work together to make a better life and society for all.