Following with the saga of national and patriotic anthems, today is once again Mexico’s turn, with “Himno Zapatista”
“Himno Zapatista” is the anthem of the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN)
The EZLN was founded in 1983 by a small group of revolutionaries (both Indigenous locals and Marxist activists from other regions of Mexico), with the group’s name honoring Emiliano Zapata, a key leader of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) who fought for land reform and the rights of peasants and commoners.
The Zapatistas emerged from deep poverty and inequality in Chiapas, one of the most marginalized regions of the country, more specifically being members of indigenous communities like the Tzotzil, Tzeltal, Tojolabal, and Chol peoples, who had long suffered under economic exclusion, racism, and loss of land.
On January 1, 1994, the EZLN declared “¡Ya Basta!” (“Enough is enough!”) and demanded democracy, freedom, land reform, education, health care, and Indigenous autonomy.
They took control of several towns and issued their declaration from the Lacandon Jungle, taking up arms against the Mexican goverment and the military, leading to brutal guerilla and jungle combat, where indigenous partisans and militiamen armed with Great War era Mauser rifles, and bows and arrows, against heavy artillery, armed vehicles, and Mexican commando forces.
The conflict lasted only a few days before a ceasefire was negotiated, however the EZLN is currently still at a war with the U.S.A and the Mexican goverment in itself, now recurring to mostly peaceful protests instead of all out armed conflict.

ZAPATA VIVE!