Collapse and revival in the Zapatista Mayan world

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Collapse and revival in the Zapatista Mayan world

Rebellion alive

Collapse and revival in the Zapatista Mayan world

Luis Hernández Navarro

EZLN support bases marched silently through San Cristobal de las Casas Victor Camacho Photo

The presence of young women was particularly prominent Santiago Zuniga Moysés Photo

The EZLN support bases used silence as protest Victor Camacho Photo

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or may return what ever is gone. What made this December 21 Mayan Zapatista rebels to peacefully and quietly occupy five cities in Chiapas was not reappear, but reaffirming the strength.

The EZLN has been here for over 28 years. Never has been. For ten years grew on the grass over 18 was released publicly. Since then he has spoken and silent intermittently, but never failed to do. Again and again has decreed its disappearance or irrelevance, but still has re-emerged with a message.

This start of the new Mayan cycle was no exception. More than 40 thousand Zapatista supporters marched in the rain in five cities in Chiapas: 20 000 in San Cristobal, 8000 in Palenque, 8000 in Las Margaritas, 6000 in Ocosingo, and at least 5000 more in Altamirano. It is the largest mobilization since the emergence of the rebels in southeastern Mexico.

The magnitude of the protest is a sign of inner strength, far from diminishing over the years, has grown. It is an indicator that the counterinsurgency strategy against him, conducted by various governments, has failed. It shows that your project is a genuine expression of the Mayan world, but also many poor mestizo peasants in Chiapas.

The EZLN never left the national scene. Guided by their own political agenda, true to its consistency with ethical and state force against him, strengthened regional forms of government, kept alive their political authority among the country's indigenous peoples and active international solidarity networks. That has not appeared publicly does not mean it is not present in many significant battles in the country.

In the five good government that exist in Chiapas municipalities and autonomous authorities support bases govern themselves, exercise justice and resolve land disputes. In their territory, the rebels have run their health and education systems outside the state and federal governments, organized the production and marketing and its structure remained standing military. Successfully solved the challenge of the next generation of its controls. To make matters worse, effectively weathered threats of drug trafficking, public insecurity and migration. The book Struggles very other . Zapatistas and indigenous autonomy in Chiapas is an extraordinary window into some of these experiences.

The Zapatistas marched on December 21 in order, dignity, discipline and cohesion, and in silence, a silence that came through loud. In the same way we have had to cover his face to be seen, now discontinued the word to be heard. It is a silence that expresses a rich generative capacity of other horizons of social transformation, a great power. A silence that communicates resistance will to power: who remains silent is ungovernable , said Ivan Illich.

A cycle of political struggle in Mexico closed the first of December, while another opened. The EZLN has much to say on the emerging map of the social struggles that began to take shape in the country. Their mobilization can impact them in a relevant way.

Among the contours that define the new era of social struggles are: a return to the old dinosaur Los Pinos PRI, manned by Salinas and authoritarian modes of exercise of state control, the aim of driving social unrest from a pact among elites that excludes the subaltern, the crisis, decomposition and reorganization of the party left, and the emergence of new social movements.

The EZLN is a new player who, without invitation, sits at the table of the game that just opened in national politics.

The Mexico Pact, signed by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), National Action Party (PAN) and, individually, by the president of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) aims to agree a program of extensive reforms outside social sectors. The mobilization of the EZLN is evident that a very large part of Mexican society is not included in that agreement, and what their subscribers do not necessarily agree with the support of the citizens.

The Aztec sun party is engaged in an internal struggle that can cause breakage. The New Left claim your destination uncir Peña Nieto government mortgage any possibility of critical distance from power.

The National Regeneration Movement (Morena) has turned to organizational tasks for registration. Probably the Popular Organization and Workers (OPT) follow the same path. There is thus a broad political and social territory left party is not occupying. The Zapatistas enjoy an undoubted political authority among those who inhabit these latitudes.

In the last year and a half social movements that have emerged to challenge the outside political parties. Do not feel represented by any of them. The Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity, # YoSoy132, community struggles against public insecurity and devastation eco-logic, the student protests in defense of public education, among others, are walking different paths to institutional policy . Sympathy for the Zapatistas in these forces are real.

But beyond the situation, the marches of 13 Baktun Maya are a novel Enough! similar to that enunciated in January 1994, and a revamped version of Never again a Mexico without us! formulated in October 1996, which opens new horizons. Ask nothing, demand nothing. They show the power of silence. Announce that a world collapses and another reborn.