Blogosphere Reacts to Zapatista Communique

• Posted 23 June 2005 17:01 GMT
• Written by David Sasaki

The Zapatista Army of National Liberation, otherwise known as the EZLN or more commonly, the Zapatistas have recently released three somewhat enigmatic communiques (1, 2, 3) declaring a “General Red Alert” and heightened militarization of the movement. In addition, as the first communique [english] warns, “national and international civil societies who are working in peace camps and in community projects are being urged to leave rebel territory. Or, if they decide freely of their own volition, they remain on their own and at their own risk …”

Bloggers in Mexico and throughout the world have been quick to offer their analysis. Alejandro Juárez (who is asking for non-English and Spanish speakers to translate his friend Carlos’ post into other languages) points to his friend Carlos’ post which warns that Mexico is in the middle of a crisis and that if Indigenous rights are not recognized shortly, a revolution is on the horizon. His post also summarizes in English the Zapatista movement over the past 11 years and links to many recent articles in Spanish.

Meanwhile, Ivan Eduardo of Tampico, Mexico writes on his blog, Actualidad that the Mexican political group COCOPA is currently investigating whether or not the Red Alert and expulsion of civic groups was actually inspired to ease the cultivation of drugs in the rebel held territories in order to gather funds.

Espacio del rudoska relates that the Mexican national army has been put on alert and that Bancomer has frozen the accounts of the organization while investigating into laundered money. The Brazilian blog XOJOBIL – NOTÍCIAS has posted an email from the University of Texas Chiapas 95 mailing list which announced the Center for Human Rights in Chiapas’ intentions to avoid any escalation of violence in the Zapatista stronghold of southern Mexico. Part of the latest bulletin from the respected human rights organization reads:

Llamamos a la sociedad civil a organizar iniciativas que apoyen la distensión e impidan el avance de una escalada de violencia

We call to the civil society to organize initiatives that support the distention and impede the advance of any escalation of violence

As an aside, the blog Europa Focus, written by a Mexican journalist living in Belgium recently clarified that without a passport, Subcommandante Marcos (pictured here), would never be allowed to enter the EU. There had been some talk previously of a friendly soccer match between the ski mask clad Zapatistas and Italian powerhouse Inter Milan.

Up to the minute information on this newest development in the Zapatista movement can be found in both Spanish and English on the Chiapas Independent Media Center website. If you know of any blogs written from Chiapas with first hand accounts, please leave a link in the comments section.