Ya Basta!

With the cry of Ya Basta (enough is enough) the Zapatistas burst onto the world stage on January 1st 1994. Armed and dressed in black balaclavas the indigenous Mayan community of Southern Mexico took possession of five major towns in the state of Chiapas. They declared war on the federal army and government, demanded the repeal of NAFTA, an end to neo-liberalism, the rights of the indigenous peoples of Mexico to be recognised, land, liberty, freedom and the right to live with dignity.

Their words and actions, inspired millions across the world as they mounted the first indigenous peoples challenge to global capitalism. It was no coincidence that the date chosen for the initial Zapatista uprising, January 1, 1994 coincided with the NAFTA, (North American Free Trade Agreement) coming into force.

The state of Chiapas is endowed with a huge and rich variety of natural resources including North Americas last remaining tropical rainforest, the Selva Lacandon. Oil and Uranium have already been discovered here by an unnamed US company. Multinationals around the world have had their eyes on Chiapas for some time, most have been waiting for NAFTA to come into effect to start the process of exploitation.

"The fee that capitalism imposes on the Southeast part of this country oozes, as it has since the beginning, blood and mud." 'Subcommandante Marcos

As you travel through the Lacandon jungle today its clear that the uprising has disrupted mining, road building and logging. It comes as no surprise that the Zapatista army (EZLN) choose to base themselves here deep in the Selva Lacandon.

The campasinos of Chiapas are well aware of what Neo-liberalism means for their communities, their lives and the future of their children. They have seen with their own eyes the destruction of their environment, the hunger and pain that is left behind when companies choose to satisfy their desire for profit.

"There are those with white skins and a dark sorrow. Our struggle walks with these skins. There are those who have dark skins and a white arrogance; against them is our fire. Our armed path is not against skin colour, but against the colour of money." EZLN

The Zapatistas mounted an unparalleled explicit challenge to the First World, neo-liberal policies and capitalism. Three years on the struggle continues and the spirit of the Zapatista rebellion is spreading. Support for their actions has come not only from the peoples of Mexico and the world but also from other indigenous communities across the globe.

"We want all those who walk with the truth to unite in one step." Subcommandante Marcos.

The Zapatistas believe that their uprising is not isolated but part of a global awakening. The Second Intergalactic Encuentro for Humanity and Against Neo-Liberalism recently hosted by Spain, proved them right. Thousands of grassroots activists from more than 60 countries gathered to develop a global network of resistance.

Amongst the thousands of indigenous peoples, trade unionists, anarchists, environmentalists, academics and squatters who attended this global DIY meeting were representatives from the Ogoni in Nigeria, farmers unions in India, combatients from the Zapatista army the EZLN, land rights delegates from the Philippines, Bolivia, El Salvador, Indonesia, Peru, Assam, Nicaragua, Sem Tierra from Brazil, activists from the US, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Poland and a diverse possy of EF!ers and RTS people from the UK.

We heard from direct action movements from the five continents. At the land rights table, held in El Indiano, a squatted farm collectively worked by Spanish families in Andalucia, we heard from Swamy, the President of the Karnataka state Farmers Union. He told of the decision of thousands of Indian farmers to take non violent direct action against multinational companies. When the trans-national Cargill decided to attempt to monopolise the indigenous seed market local farmers burnt down the regional office. Swamy stated; "We need to commit ourselves to building not an international network of words and information but a global network of direct action and solidarity."

From Brazil the Sem Tierra Movement told of thousands of squatted collective farms worked and ran by landless families. Debii, from the Ogoni, himself exiled from Nigeria, told of the deaths and human rights abuses faced by his people in their struggle against Shell. From Mexico, we heard of the fire in peoples hearts that had been lit by the Zapatistas, as indigenous people across the country fought the commodification of their lands by the Mexican government and trans-national corporations. And from Europe activists told of the direct action campaigns against the nuclear industry, road building and multinationals.

"When the storm calms, when rain and fire leave the land in peace, the world will no longer be the world but something better". Subcommandante Marcos

As talks, meetings and networking sessions stretched into the early hours of the morning what stunned many who attended was not the great cultural divides between us but the similarities and common aims and objectives. The Zapatista cry of 'Ya Basta" was resounding not only through the gathering but also amongst the thousands of dispersed resistance movements through the world.

At the closing meeting of the Encuentro, Felipe, one of the two masked combatients from the EZLN, stated; "... today we tell you brothers and sisters, continue resisting as we do, because the future of all of us is to triumph." Those of us who travelled from the UK to this gathering want to build not only on the links we made but on the dreams we shared. As capitalism goes global so too will the resistance to it.

Today Chiapas is scattered with army troops conducting a psychological war aganist the campesino and indigenous people. Every village is surrounded by army camps. There is a cease fire in Chiapas but there is no peace in Southeast Mexico. Daily flights of armed helicopters flying low over the jungle. Human rights abuses are common place. There are daily reports of arbitrary detentions, torture, executions, rape and violation and plunder to communal and personal property. The USA is covertly involved. Under the guise of providing helicopters, training and arms for the fight against drugs it has provided the Mexican government the tools to repress it's own people. The elite National Guard of the US army is lined up along the Guatemalan border with Mexico awaiting instructions for the next Mexican's government offensive on the indigenous communities of Chiapas. The land occupations continue as campasinos reclaim land that once belonged to them but with the evictions comes death and destruction.

The communities of Southeast Mexico are demanding liberty and freedom. They want autonomy, they want the right to collectively manage their own resources, they want true democracy, access to health care, education and the right to live with dignity. They also want their land. On Sunday 14th September 1997, a masked representative from each of the 1,111 indigenous villages marched on the capital Mexico D.F. to launch the civil organisation the Zapatista National Liberation Front and to demand rights for the indigenous people. The Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo who choose to attend a military commemoration ceremony instead, reported that the government would not honour their agreements made at the peace negotiations about sovereignty and national unity. His response was a coded rejection of the indigenous peoples demands for autonomy. The EZLN in a communique stated, "The war goes on in Southeast Mexico and the Zapatistas are still armed and ready for combat.

The people of Chiapas desperately need our support and solidarity. There are three groups in Britain which are part of a network of international solidarity groups. These can be contacted for more information;

1) Chiapas Support Group, Box 19, 82 Colston Street, Bristol. BS1 5BB.

2) fHuman, c/o BM-CRL, London. WC1N 3XX email; fhuman@hotmailcom

3) Chiapas Action, Kings College, Cambridge OB2 1ST

There are monthly demos outside the Mexican Tourist Office on the first Friday of the month (Contact fhuman). The video 'Visions of Freedom" is available from the Bristol Group for 7.50 plus 50p p&p

The local human rights organisation in Chiapas are desperately short of international observers. If you are thinking of going to Mexico, can speak Spanish and are prepared to spent a week or two with the indigenous communities as a 'campamento for the peace' get in contact with Fray Bartolome Centre for Human Rights in Chiapas. Email cdhbcasas@laneta.apc.org

For more news about the Encuentro and possible solidarity actions contact Ya Basta, c/o Avon Gorge EF!.

Info can also be found on the web www.pangea.org/encuentro or http//vivaldi.nexus.it/commerce/tmerew/chiapas

Viva Zapata!