Zapata and Pancho Villa... communist?

[R_P_A_S]

some of you might of read how un-easy my family here in mexico(mainly) are so upset and uneasy with the fact that i like che guevara. they give me odd looks and make rude comments about him.

i bought this really cool posters of real life photos. one of zapata, one of villa and one of Guevara. old sold at the same lil store. my family was very fond up the villa and zapata posters. but not of the guevara one.

so here i have the following questions.

Villa and Zapata teamed up during the mexican revolution. obviously to overthrow the dictatorship of porfirio diaz and give land back to the peasents. also obviously it was a revolution that was betrayed with the assesination of both of them.

OK.. Che did pretty much the same right? but villa and zapata never claim to be communist or did they?.. people always associate the three men. so why the angry comments and faces towards guevara?

[bcbm]

Zapata was more or less an anarchist and his ideas were formed by spending a great deal of time with them, especially the works of Magon.

I wouldn't say Villa adhered too much to any ideology beyond justice for the poor, though I'll say right off I don't know as much about him.

In any case, they've both become somewhat nationalist figures in Mexico and been disassociated with their politics, whereas Guevara hasn't.

[Tekun]

Zapata was, towards the end of his life, leaning towards anarchism
He was influenced by Ricardo Flores Magón, who was an anarchist
Zapata's slogan was "tierra y libertad," but despite his anarchist leanings he was more or less fighting for land and liberty for Mexico's poor
Even though he leaned towards anarchism, he wasn't focused on overthrowing the government
I'd say that Zapata believed in anarchism, but was not an active anarchist


Villa on the other hand was alot more moderate, yet he didn't clearly define his political aims
He basically despised American involvement in Mexico, and fought against the forces that supported American intrusion (gov and military)
Villa subscribed to the Plan of Guadalupe (basically consolidating power in the leaders loyal to Francis Madero)
Not very radical
Taking this into consideration, I'd say that his only political aim during the revolutionary years in Mexico was to return political power to those whom he sided with, or whom he agreed with

BTW: Villa was assasinated years after he gave up the fight
He stopped his revolutionary activities after coming to terms with president Adolfo de la Huerta


I guess the reason that ppl group Che, Villa, and Zapata together is to sell T-shirts...just playin, but really I think it has to do with the whole personality cult, revolutionary aspect, and latino culture which makes these men symbols of resistance to Latinos and radical leftists

I still think Sandino should be included also!

[black magick hustla]

Zapata wasn't really an anarchist.

He sympathisized with magonist ideas, but he didn't find them "feasable" when applied to the mexican condition of those times.