On January 1, 1994 the Zapatista uprising took place in Chiapas, Mexico. The Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) had been organizing long before 1994, but the New Year’s Day uprising is very significant to their beginnings as it propelled them onto a national and international spotlight. Rooted in their cause was anti-neoliberalism as it related to the indigenous struggle. The date of the revolution was not random, but chosen because it was the day that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect. The main concern for the rebels, many of whom were desperately poor, was that under NAFTA a key part of the Mexican Constitution was taken out that protected communal land holdings from privatization. Besides land, one of
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Thus the antithesis of the language used by the government.” (Russell 37). It is true that the Zapatistas used language and writing as a tool, or as Marcos has put it, “the word is our weapon” (Marcos, 2001). Getting their message out to the people was paramount to gaining support. Every time the movement stated something about the movement, or something related to the movement, or really anything that the EZLN took issue with, there was a response by the Zapatistas. All three of the main phases of the movement are reflected in the spoken and written discourse by the movement’s spokesperson, Subcommander Marcos. This chapter will examine the shifts in goals while looking at this discourse. and the issues that arose because of …show more content…
This playful tone that Marcos takes in his writing broadens who his audience is by appealing to the masses. The narrative form that he has used on occasion puts the EZLN’s problems with a variety of issues, such as with neoliberalism and classism, in a more accessible form. He is writing to everyone rather than to just revolutionaries. For instance there is one story written by Marcos’ titled The Story of the Magic Chocolate Bunnies (Neoliberalism, a Rabbit’s Libido, and the Children) (Marcos 318, 2001). The title alone suggests that the story has fantastical elements, but also commentary on an issue like neoliberalism. As a result of Marcos’ university education there are some U.S/European influences in his works. This is interesting because of the reliance on indigenous language at times, and how he chooses to use it or ignore it. This is also interesting because when writing about anti-globalization and anti-neoliberalism, he draws from cultures like the United States. In this particular story, Marcos’ opens this story with citing The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly as a type of
Thus the antithesis of the language used by the government.” (Russell 37). It is true that the Zapatistas used language and writing as a tool, or as Marcos has put it, “the word is our weapon” (Marcos, 2001). Getting their message out to the people was paramount to gaining support. Every time the movement stated something about the movement, or something related to the movement, or really anything that the EZLN took issue with, there was a response by the Zapatistas. All three of the main phases of the movement are reflected in the spoken and written discourse by the movement’s spokesperson, Subcommander Marcos. This chapter will examine the shifts in goals while looking at this discourse. and the issues that arose because of …show more content…
This playful tone that Marcos takes in his writing broadens who his audience is by appealing to the masses. The narrative form that he has used on occasion puts the EZLN’s problems with a variety of issues, such as with neoliberalism and classism, in a more accessible form. He is writing to everyone rather than to just revolutionaries. For instance there is one story written by Marcos’ titled The Story of the Magic Chocolate Bunnies (Neoliberalism, a Rabbit’s Libido, and the Children) (Marcos 318, 2001). The title alone suggests that the story has fantastical elements, but also commentary on an issue like neoliberalism. As a result of Marcos’ university education there are some U.S/European influences in his works. This is interesting because of the reliance on indigenous language at times, and how he chooses to use it or ignore it. This is also interesting because when writing about anti-globalization and anti-neoliberalism, he draws from cultures like the United States. In this particular story, Marcos’ opens this story with citing The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly as a type of