Zapatista, << zah pah TEES tah, >> Army of National Liberation, commonly called the Zapatistas, is a group that seeks increased political rights for Mexico’s native Indian population. The Zapatistas take their name from Emiliano Zapata, who fought for Indian land rights during the Mexican Revolution of 1910.
The Zapatistas came to prominence on Jan. 1, 1994, when Maya Indians seized control of several towns in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. The Zapatistas demanded improved living conditions for all of Mexico’s Indians. At first, the Mexican army tried to crush the rebellion through force. But protests in Mexico and other countries led Mexico’s government to declare a cease-fire on Jan. 12, 1994.
In 1996, the Zapatistas and the Mexican government signed an agreement on Indian rights. The government failed to carry out the agreement. A version of the accord that had been extensively amended by the Mexican Congress became law in 2001. The Zapatistas did not support the law.
See also Mexico (Opposition to the PRI) ; Zapata, Emiliano .
