The Zapatistas

[SoupIsGoodFood]

Hey, I just learned about the Zapatistas and I'm wondering if a foreigner can join the EZLN, I am pretty proficient in Spanish and would like to serve in the EZLN for at least a couple years after I graduate. Is it allowed for an American to join?

[Mala Tha Testa]

I'm pretty sure, yeah.
I think Zack de la Rocha, from Rage Against the Machine, was in Chiapas supporting them at one point.

EDIT: I'm not positive though.

[SoupIsGoodFood]

Would they let me train with them and shit though? Although, would this get my ass on some sort of FBI watch list?

[Mala Tha Testa]

The latter is likely.
The former, I have no clue. I don't see why not, though. You might have to prove somehow you're not a spy or something. But if you're a good spy it wouldn't matter I guess. Haha.

[Lacrimi de Chiciură]

To me at first it seems rather insane and impractical to go off and join a foreign army, but that would be pretty cool if you could actually do it, but only if you're planning on writing a book about it or something.

[Kukulofori]

To me at first it seems rather insane and impractical to go off and join a foreign army, but that would be pretty cool if you could actually do it, but only if you're planning on writing a book about it or something.

I recommend you change your title because this is not something a revolutionary would say.

[BIG BROTHER]

I would suggest that you truly understand what they are about, before you attempt to join them.

[scarletghoul]

Marcos is a foreigner, so yeah you'd probably be able to join.

[griffjam]

First off the Zapatistas abandoned armed struggle, second while your spanish is a plus the language of the indigenous peoples is Tsotsil. The ESRAZ offers lessons in both Spanish and Tsotsil http://www.serazln-altos.org/eng/celm.html.

http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1332534&postcount=5

[x359594]

...I am pretty proficient in Spanish and would like to serve in the EZLN for at least a couple years after I graduate. Is it allowed for an American to join?

Given that the EZLN is organized by the idigenous people of Chiapas, the Ch'ol, Tzeltal, Tzotzil, Tojolabal, and that their spokesman is a sub-comandante because he's a foreigner, any offer of your services to their struggle would have to be vetted by the EZLN command.

It's well to remember Sub-commandante Marco's injunction to "Be a Zapatista where you are." Note also that Spanish is a second language and not the primary tongue spoken by the indigenous people of Chiapas (many of them do not speak Spanish.)

[*Red*Alert]

Don't let that discourage you, you can easily come to Europe and join in the both the ongoing armed and unarmed struggle for a 32 County Socialist Republic in Ireland or an Independent Basque country between France and Spain.

You would be more than welcome to visit the Zapatista's, I remember a comrrade of mine visited there officially last year and got on well with them and built links between our two struggles.

[Howard509]

By clicking on the link in my sig, you can make a donation for the Zapatistas to build schools and medical clinics.

[Unregistered]

First off the Zapatistas abandoned armed struggle, second while your spanish is a plus the language of the indigenous peoples is Tsotsil. The ESRAZ offers lessons in both Spanish and Tsotsil http://www.serazln-altos.org/eng/celm.html.

http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1332534&postcount=5

It is still an armed struggle although it is not as widely documented because the mexican state placed former paramilitary families near the Zapatista communities so as to disturb their rights over land and thus creating the armed struggle. Marcos was a Gramsci tactician and chose the war of position, a longer more sustainable and a somewhat revolutionary conception as opposed to the war of manoeuvre - an armed struggle that would not win them the consensus dat dey mus rekwire 2 delegitimizzzee the state and counter dem hegemony.

Did a political thesis on the beautiful EZLN and going to visit next year

PEACE OUT BLUDCLAATS!

[which doctor]

The Zapatista's love it when privileged, white, college-educated first-worlders spend a few weeks and several thousand dollars being tourists and acting out their "guerilla warfare" fantasies with them fighting for indigenous rights.

[Lacrimi de Chiciură]

To me at first it seems rather insane and impractical to go off and join a foreign army, but that would be pretty cool if you could actually do it, but only if you're planning on writing a book about it or something.I recommend you change your title because this is not something a revolutionary would say.

Wow, fuck you. Right, it's completely reasonable and financially possible for any working class European or American who "just learned about the Zapatistas" to go off to Chiapas and join them. I think it's important to ask oneself if there is any more useful things that a person could be doing besides joining an armed indigenous organization in another country. And yes Marcos is white but he is from Mexico and has actual connections to the struggle of indigenous people. Yeah, that would be great if say, a revolutionary Swedish person could show solidarity with indigenous Mexicans but obviously that would be a certain privilege for them to be able to actually join the EZLN, which is why I suggested that the OP write a book about it if s/he ever does it since moving to Chiapas and joining the EZLN is beyond the possibilities of most people.

[FreeFocus]

LOL. Train for a "few years after" you graduate. :laugh:

If you're serious, you'd have to be willing to leave everything behind, and you shouldn't be expecting to come back 5 years later and take out your keys to open the door to your house. In other words, if you live in the US, don't expect to be coming back to the US.

[Howard509]

If you actually support the Zapatista cause, I recommend supporting them with your pocket book. It's something you can actually do right now where you live.

[Kukulofori]

Internationalism's a crock, the foreigners who fought in the Spanish Civil War should have stayed home and handed out pamphlets.

Translated.

[Lacrimi de Chiciură]

Translated.

Are you just a troll? I clearly stated that I think the EZLN would be a good organization to be involved with. But it's not easy or even possible for the vast majority of people to give up their job/school and possessions, leave their home and family, learn several languages, and get a visa. Moving to Chiapas and actually becoming an involved member of the EZLN (not just a tourist) would be a life-altering experience, considering that an American doing so could lose his/her U.S. citizenship for serving what the U.S. government considers a "terrorist organization," or you could die (it is an armed conflict.)

But yah, I'm just a little counterrevolutionary because I don't post on a message board, "Yeah, go join the EZLN! It will be easy!"

[Cael]

Are you just a troll? I clearly stated that I think the EZLN would be a good organization to be involved with. But it's not easy or even possible for the vast majority of people to give up their job/school and possessions, leave their home and family, learn several languages, and get a visa. Moving to Chiapas and actually becoming an involved member of the EZLN (not just a tourist) would be a life-altering experience, considering that an American doing so could lose his/her U.S. citizenship for serving what the U.S. government considers a "terrorist organization," or you could die (it is an armed conflict.)

But yah, I'm just a little counterrevolutionary because I don't post on a message board, "Yeah, go join the EZLN! It will be easy!"


Sounds like a great idea. I know someone who spent time with them and he said it was a great experiance. They are very friendly towards foreigners.

[SoupIsGoodFood]

The Zapatista's love it when privileged, white, college-educated first-worlders spend a few weeks and several thousand dollars being tourists and acting out their "guerilla warfare" fantasies with them fighting for indigenous rights.

A. I'm not privileged
B. I'm not white
C. I'm not college educated
D. Fuck off

[Delirium]

The best thing you could do to support the zapatistas is to work in your own country to create socialist revolution. If you are an American you could work to end nafta, and prevent plan mexico from being implemented.

The zapatista's power lies in the networks that they have created, and the perceived reaction that the mexican population would have to a military attack on the zapatistas. The mexican army could crush them like a fly if it came down to it.

Here is a comprehensive list of ezln/zapatista communiques.

http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/mexico/ezlnco.html

I would suggest the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle to start out with.

[Forward Union]

Hey, I just learned about the Zapatistas and I'm wondering if a foreigner can join the EZLN, I am pretty proficient in Spanish and would like to serve in the EZLN for at least a couple years after I graduate. Is it allowed for an American to join?

No they cant join the EZLN. No one from outside the indigeanous groups can.

I have been to Zapatista territory doing civiliiant support work, I can tell you about how to do that if you want.

[ellipsis]

Hey, I just learned about the Zapatistas and I'm wondering if a foreigner can join the EZLN, I am pretty proficient in Spanish and would like to serve in the EZLN for at least a couple years after I graduate. Is it allowed for an American to join?
Non-Mexicans joining the armed ranks of EZLN is definitely prohibited as policy. Having foreigners in their ranks would only give power to the government's propaganda denouncing the movements as one led by foreigns, a problem agitated by international actors not caused by the Mexican state itself.

Marcos is a foreigner, so yeah you'd probably be able to join.
Marcos is mexican born, living and teaching at UNAM in Mexico City.

First off the Zapatistas abandoned armed struggle, second while your spanish is a plus the language of the indigenous peoples is Tsotsil. The ESRAZ offers lessons in both Spanish and Tsotsil http://www.serazln-altos.org/eng/celm.html.

http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1332534&postcount=5
This language program also has a heavy dose of political education. I know people who have done their program and been very happy.

The Zapatista's love it when privileged, white, college-educated first-worlders spend a few weeks and several thousand dollars being tourists and acting out their "guerilla warfare" fantasies with them fighting for indigenous rights.
And if "revolutionary tourist" pesos find their way into the pockets of a revolutionary organization and the impoverished peasant who support them, would you still scoff? And it would be very, very hard to spend 20,000 pesos in two weeks, in the middle of the jungle. That's a lot of Marcos dolls.