San Cristobal de las Casas

 Way down in the south of Mexico, bordering Guatemala, is the state of Chiapas.

 San Cristobal de las Casas (founded in 1528) is the urban center of the Chiapas highlands which are populated by Tzotzil and Tzeltal peoples. The surrounding mountainous region had little contact with the outside world until well after the  Pan American Highway was completed in this area in the 1950's.

Subcomandante Marcos

This is Zapatista country.  Everywhere there are images of a masked rebel and EZLN is scrawled across official government signs.  On January 1st 1994 the Zapatistas occupied four county seats including the Palacio in San Cristobal de las Casas.  Hundreds of people died in this conflict.  This action coincided with the initiation of the "North American Free Trade Act"  (NAFTA).     

The EZLN has widespread support in the community.

This ongoing rebellion resists the loss of sovereignty that NAFTA imposes on the people of all countries that are subjected to "Free Trade" rules.  These rules allow unelected corporate ceo's to make decisions about land rights and overrule local laws determined through democratic processes.  Faced with the privatization of their communal lands, the peasants decided they would rather risk death fighting for their rights than have their government sell their land out from under them to foreign interests.

EZLN negotiators

The mexican army took back the government buildings in a bloody battle, and then, in an attempt to suppress the uprising, used direct force to run people off their land, driving refugees into the nearby mountains.   After massive popular protests in Mexico City, the government was forced to retreat and began an engagement in low intensity warfare.  Surrogate paramilitary groups with no ostensible ties to the Mexican government attacked and have killed zapatista supporters.
This movement continues to struggle against repression and supports other repressed people around the world.
-PJM


for more information: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Andr%C3%A9s_Accord


http://www.tc.umn.edu/~fayxx001/text/naftawar.html