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Unit 6 NotesZapatistasBennettPicture AnalysisWhat exactly do you
see in the photograph?How are the people dressed?What are they
doing?Imagine that you are in the picture. What would you hear?
What would you smell?Prediction: What happened right before this
image?Prediction: What happened right after this image?
Picture 1
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WHAT IS A GUERILLA?Is This An Example of a Guerilla?
WHAT ARE GUERILLAS?Usually a small military groupMade up of
non-traditional soldiersDoes not represent a country but more a
common group or causeUses surprise attacks and sabotage to attack
larger more formal enemies
"The enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy camps, we harass; the
enemy tires, we attack; the enemy retreats, we pursue."
GUERILLA OR NOT GUERILLA??
Who are the Zapatistas? a group of Mexicans who support improved
rights & living conditions for Mexicos indigenous people
Where does the name Zapatista come from?...
Latin America Guerilla OrganizationsThe Zapatista Movement in
MexicoPeople from the Chiapas region of Mexico.Made up primarily of
poor farmers and workers of indigenous American ancestry.
THE NAME OF THE ZAPATISTASThe Zapatistas get their name from one
of the leaders of the Mexican Revolution, Emiliano Zapata.Zapata is
a Mexican symbol for rising up against a government that oppresses
the people.Emiliano Zapata DID NOT CREATE the Zapatistas, but his
lifetime achievements inspired the name of the group.
Why Chiapas?Its a resource-rich state in southern
Mexico:produces over half of Mexicos hydroelectric power2nd largest
petroleum producing stateLargest coffee exporting state
So whats the big deal there?
Whats the Big Deal?Chiapas has the worst rates of poverty in
Mexico:three-fourths of its people are malnourished, half live in
dwellings with dirt floors19% of the population has no income39%
earn less than minimum wage ($3/day)Chiapas is a huge contributor
to the global economy (water, oil, etc.), but is getting little in
return.huge division between rich & poor in the state
What are they fighting for?Zapatistas want to eliminate the
division between the social classes in Chiapas (wealthy vs.
poor)They argued that the indigenous people of Mexico needed more
help to improve healthcare, housing education, & jobs.They have
tried to peacefully negotiate with Mexicos government, but the
agreements have not solved the peoples problems.
Subcomandante Marcos
"The natural wealth that leaves these lands doesn't travel over
just these three roads (leading to Chiapas). Chiapas is bled
through thousands of veins: through oil ducts and gas ducts, over
electric wires, by railroad cars, through bank accounts, by trucks
and vans, by ships and planes...And what tribute does this land
continue to pay to various empires? Oil, electric energy, cattle,
money, bananas, honey, corn, cocoa, tobacco, sugar, soy...and
Chiapan blood flows out through a thousand and one fangs sunk into
the neck of southeastern Mexico."NAFTA & the
Zapatistas1994North American Free Trade Agreement came into effect
& allowed free trade between US, Canada, & Mexico
Some people in Mexico did not like this plan:thought that NAFTA
would allow cheap farm goods to come into Mexico from the USthought
NAFTA benefitted the wealthy and hurt the poor Native American
farmers by lowering prices of crops like coffee and cornfarmers in
Mexico would not be able to compete with the cheaper food
NAFTA & the ZapatistasOn the day NAFTA took effect, the
Zapatistas took over 7 towns in their part of Mexico (state of
Chiapas).The Mexican army was sent to remove the
Zapatistas.fighting lasted for several weeks, & a cease-fire
eventually ended the fightingZapatistas did not go awayArmed
Takeover in Chiapas01/01/94
The Revolt of 1994The revolt was put down by the Mexican
National Army, but the Zapatistas received recognition from
governments worldwide.
The revolt helped put pressure on the Mexican government to fix
the problems in the Chiapas region
Mexico and the Zapatistas TodaySince the Zapatista revolt in
1994, the Mexican government and the EZLN are working constantly to
come up with solutions in the Chiapas.The Zapatistas want more
money and assistance from the government in helping to make the
Chiapas region prosperous.Its taking a long time
