Chapter 10
Mexico
I. Sovereignty, Authority, & Power
A.

Legitimacy
Viceroy – Governor appointed by Spanish
king during colonial period
 Centralized, authoritarian rule with
virtually no participation by the
indigenous population
A. Legitimacy Continued

Revolution of 1910-1917 – Mexicans have
admired revolutionary leaders throughout their history.
Revolutions in general are seen quite positively, and
charisma is highly valued as a leadership characteristic


Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) – helped legitimize the
revolution, served as an important source of government
legitimacy until the late 20th century
Constitution of 1917 – created a democratic, three-branch
government, but allowed the PRI to stabilize and consolidate
power within the hands of its leaders.
II. Historical Traditions

Authoritarianism – from Spanish colonial
structure and strong-armed tactics of military-political
leaders (caudillos) such as Porfirio Diaz, Mexico has
long tradition of authoritarian rule. President currently still
holds a great deal of power.

Populism – revolutions of 19th and 20th century had
significant peasant base led by charismatic leaders that
called for more rights for ordinary Mexicans, particularly
indigenous citizens. Zapatista movement is reflection of
this tradition
Historical Traditions continued

Power Plays/Divisions within Elite –
elites who led dissenters during 1810 & 1910
revolutions; warlords & caudillos of the early 20th
century; and the politicos & tecnicos of the late 20th
century

Instability and Legitimacy Issues –
Mexico’s political history full of chaos, conflict,
bloodshed, and violent resolution to political differences.
Even though most Mexicans believe the government is
legitimate, the current regime still leans toward instability
III. Political Culture
A.
National Identity – Mexicans share a
strong sense of national identification based on
common history, dominant religion and
language


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Importance of religion (Catholicism)
Patron-clientelism (“You scratch my back, I’ll
scratch yours”)
Economic dependency
IV. Geographic Influence

Mountains & Deserts – make communication
and transportation difficult; promotes regionalism; limits
areas where productive agriculture is possible

Varied Climates – cold, dry mountains to tropical
rain forests because of Mexico’s varying terrain and long
expanse from North to South

Natural Resources – petroleum, silver, copper,
gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber

U.S.-Mexican Border – 2,000 mile long border
means relationships are inevitable (migration,
dependency, conflict)
V. Population

Over 100 million people in Mexico



60% Mestizo
30% Amerindian (Indigenous)
10% other (European, Asian, etc.)

Most populated Spanish-speaking country in the world

75% of Mexico’s population live in urban areas (Mexico
City’s population is 18 million)

Population in northern part of Mexico more prosperous
than central & southern Mexico. Farther south you go the
greater the poverty of the people.
VI. Colonial Era (colonialism)

Cultural Heterogeneity – Spanish took control over
numerous indigenous populations dominated by the Aztecs once
they conquered Tenochtitlan
 Mestizo – ethnic mixture of two peoples (European &
indigenous)

Catholicism – most Spaniards settled in or near Mexico city,
but Spanish priests settled throughout Mexico’s hinterland
converting the population to Christianity. Priests developed strong
relationships with the people of Mexico


Economic Dependency – all trade done with Spain
Spanish Hierarchy – elaborate political & social status
hierarchy structure
VII. Independence: “MEXICO”

Instability & Legitimacy Issues – Spanish left and took
hierarchy structure with them, reorganizing government was difficult
task, Mexico had 36 presidents from 1833-1855

Rise of Military – Instability led to military control, ex. Santa
Anna

U.S. Domination – US challenges Mexican land claims,
Mexican-American War (1846-1848), Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo
(US gets TX, NM, CA, AZ, UT, part of CO)

Liberals vs. Conservatives – Constitution of 1857 based
on democratic principles. Liberal president Benito Juarez
“liberalizes” Mexico. Conservatism reflected in joint French,
Spanish, and English takeover of Mexico under Maximilian (18641867). After Maximilian’s execution Juarez brought back to power
but liberal/conservative struggle would continue
“The Porfiriato”

Porfirio Diaz
 Military
general under Benito Juarez
 Staged military coup in 1876
 Instituted himself as president of Mexico, promised
he would serve no more than one term
 Ruled Mexico for 34 years with an iron hand
 Cientificos – young, educated advisors of Diaz that
believed in bringing scientific and economic
progress to Mexico
Influences of Porfiriato

Stability – Diaz dictatorship ended years of conflict
and chaos

Authoritarianism – no sharing of political power
beyond small, closed elite group

Foreign Investment/Economic Growth –
cientificos encouraged entrepreneurship and foreign
investment, primarily from the U.S., resulted in growth of
business and industry

Growing Gap between Rich & Poor – as a
result of development and industrialization
VIII. 20th Century
Porfirio Diaz ousted in coup by other elites
dissatisfied with Diaz’ rule and sensitive to
the greed of the Porfirians
 Diaz abdicates to General Francisco
Madero, a landowner from Coahuila
 Revolution of 1910 begins and warlordism
and chaos would persist in Mexico until
1934

Influences of the Mexican
Revolution

Patron-client System

Constitution of 1917

Conflict with Catholic Church

Establishment of the PRI
Mexican Revolution continued

Patron-Client System – in an effort to unseat
Diaz, caudillos rose to challenge each other for power.
Popular leaders Pancho Villa & Emiliano Zapata
emerged leading peasant armies. Around each leader a
patron-client system emerged that involved large
numbers of citizens


Many caudillos were ultimately assassinated
(including Villa and Zapata)
Large numbers of followers were also killed in the
competing world of the caudillos
Constitution of 1917

Ended the Revolution

Violence & Political Assassinations continued

Mexican constitution very long and easily
amended

Set up structure for Democratic Government
(Political Institutions resemble those of the U.S.)



Three branches of Government
Competitive Elections
Most public officials directly elected by the people
Conflict with Church after
Revolution

Cristeros Rebellion (1920)


Liberals legally separate Church & State, viewed
church as a bastion of conservatism




Hundreds of Thousands Killed (Priests murdered)
Forbid priests from voting
Placed federal restrictions on church-affiliated schools
(parochial schools)
Suspended religious services
Priests continue to lead rebellions after Liberal
changes, contributes to chaos of 20th century
Establishment of PRI


After years of conflict, President Calles brings caudillos
together for agreement in 1929
Attempts to bring all caudillos under one big, umbrella
political party


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Bring stability through the idea of “passing around”
power from one leader to the next as presidency
changed hands
Sexenios – president could only serve one 6-year term
Other leaders would be given major positions in
government to establish their influence
PRI- “institutionalized” the revolution by stabilizing
conflict between leaders
IX. Cardenas Upheaval (1934-1940)
Succeeded Calles’ as president
 Stabilized and Radicalized Mexican
politics
 Gave voice to peasant demands from the
Revolution of 1910
 Charismatic leader
 “the Roosevelt of Mexico” as labeled by
American scholars

Cardenas’ Changes

Redistribution of Land – land taken away from big landlords,
foreigners and redistributed as ejidos – collective land grants – to be
worked by peasants

Nationalization of Industry – foreign business owners kicked
out of country, most industry put under control of the state. Ex: PEMEX –
giant, government controlled oil company

Investment in Public Works – government builds roads,
provides electricity, creates public services to modernize Mexico

Encouragement of Peasant & Union Organizations –
Cardenas welcomes their input in government, they form their own
camarillas with leaders that represent their interests on presidents’ cabinet

Concentration of Power in Presidency – Cardenas
stabilizes presidency, when his sexenio was up he peacefully let go of
power
Cardenas and ISI
Cardenas’ strategy of state-led
development known as Import
Substitution Industrialization (ISI)
 ISI


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
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Employs high tariffs to protect locally produced goods
from foreign competition
Government ownership of key industries
Government subsidies to domestic industries
Government takes lead in promoting industrialization
(very little capital in private hands during this era)
X. Tecnicos & the Pendulum
Theory

Miguel Aleman becomes president in 1946



Encouraged entrepreneurship
Foreign investment
Free-market strategies on exports

Followed by president who returned to Cardenas-style
reform

Pendulum Theory – back-and-forth effect in

Mexican politics from socialist reform to free-market
economic development and back again.
By the 1970s the pendulum appeared to stop with the
emergence of the tecnicos
Tecnicos continued



Tecnicos – educated, business-oriented leaders
usually with degrees in economics, political
science, business, etc.
Tecnicos in the PRI espouse the free-market
approach to politics
By the 1980s Mexico had settled into an
economic approach based upon Neoliberalism





Free markets
Balanced budgets
Privatization
Free trade
Limited government intervention in the economy
“Tecnicos & Politicos”




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

By 1950s Mexico welcomed foreign investment
GNP experienced spectacular growth until the 1980s
This “Mexican Miracle” based largely on huge supplies
of natural gas & oil
Mexico became a model for LDC’s everywhere
“Oil Bust” of the early 1980s, plummeting price of oil
sunk the Mexican economy and inflated the value of the
peso
This caused added political tension within the PRI
Division between the “politicos” – old style caciques
who headed camarillas – and the “tecnicos” began to
grow wider
XI. Citizens, Society, & the State

Traditionally Mexican citizens have interacted with government
through patron-client system

Because camarillas so interwoven in Mexican politics, most people
have had some contact with government during their lives

Clientelism has generally meant that the government had the upper
hand through its ability to determine which interests to respond to
and which to ignore

Role of citizens in Mexico is changing as political parties have
become competitive and democracy becomes more firmly
entrenched
XII. Cleavages

Urban vs. Rural –

Mestizo vs. Amerindian – only about 10% of Mexicans
Mexico’s political structure put into place in
early 20th century when most of population was rural. PRI and patron-client
system were intended to control large numbers of illiterate peasants in
exchange for small favors from politicos. Today Mexico is 75% urban, with a
literacy rate of about 90%. Urban voters less likely to support PRI, more
receptive to political and economic reform
speak indigenous languages, but about 30% consider themselves
Amerindians. Amerindians marginalized, predominantly rural, and poor. This
cleavage tends to define social class, with most of Mexico’s wealth in the
hands of the mestizo population.

North vs. South – north almost like a different country then the
area south of Mexico City. Majority of educated citizens and Mexico’s wealth
lies in the north. Southern Mexico primarily populated by Amerindians,
characterized and led by Zapatista Movement in Chiapas.
XIII. Political Participation

Historically characterized by revolution & protest

Mexican citizens have generally been subjects
under authoritarian rule of the political elite

Citizens sometimes benefited from patronage,
but legitimate channels to policy-makers were
few

Today citizens participate through increasingly
legitimate and regular elections
XIV. Patron-Client System (Mexico)




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
Roots in warlordism and loyalty to caudillos during 19th century
Each caudillo had supporters – in return for their loyalty – he granted favors
to them
Establishment of Camarillas that still exist today
Mexican citizens participate in government through formal & informal
mechanisms
Emphasizes compromise among contending elites
“Behind the Scenes” conflict resolution
Distribution of political rewards to those willing to play by formal/informal
“rules of the game”
Keeps control in the hands of the elite
Elite has upper hand in deciding who gets favors and who doesn’t
Patron-client system still very important in determining the nature of political
participation
Modernization and legitimate democracy tend to break up the patron-client
system as networks get blurred in large population centers, and more formal
forms of participation are instituted
Camarillas

Hierarchical network

Exchange of offices and other benefits

Within the PRI, up until the election of 2000, most
positions within the president’s cabinet were filled by
supporters or heads of camarillas that the president
wanted to appease

Peasants in camarillas received jobs, financial
assistance, family advice, and even food & shelter in
return for votes for the PRI in the past
Protests

When citizens demands have gotten out of hand, the
government generally responded by not only
accommodating their demands, but by including them in
the political process through cooptation
 Tlatelolco (1968) – student protest led to a massacre by
government troops. Next president recruited large numbers of
students into government, increased spending on social services
 Zapatista Uprising (1994) – Chiapas rebellion reminded
Mexicans that some people still lived in appalling conditions, and
poverty and lack of education were still serious problems
Voter Behavior

PRI era






PRI controlled local, state, & national elections
Voting rates high because of patron-client system
Election day festive, accompanied by free food, music, and
celebratrions
Corruption extensive
Challengers easily defeated with “tacos” – stuffed ballot
boxes
Post-PRI era

Presence of competing parties, have existed since 1930s,
but no real legitimacy until 1994



78% of eligible citizens voted in 1994
64% voted in 2000
Both much better than 49% of 1988 when PRI corruption was
at its height
Factors influencing Voters

Age



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Education




Younger voters were more likely than older voters to support
Vincente Fox’s PAN, and older voters more likely to support the
PRI
59% of all student voters chose PAN
19% voted for the PRI
The more educated voted for Fox and the PAN
60% of those with a college education voted for Fox
22% of college educated voted for Labastida, the PRI
candidate
Region


PRI evenly supported throughout the regions of the country
PAN received majority of its support from the north and centerwest
XV. Political Institutions: Mexico in
Transition

Mexico characterized by economic and political transition

Authoritarianism under the PRI has been replaced by competitive
elections, although political hostilities still exist

Economic dependency and underdevelopment slowly being
transformed as public policies have been supportive of a free market
economy, yet a backlash against neoliberalism has continued

“Developed”, “Developing”, or “Less Developed”, how do we classify
Mexico?

Regime type: from corporatist structure to transitional democracy
How Development is Measured

GNP per capita – estimate of a country’s total economic output divided by its total
population, converting to a single currency, usually the U.S. dollar. Does not take into account
what goods & services can actually be purchased with local currency.

PPP – Purchasing Power Parity – takes into account cost of living in a particular country
figuring out what it costs to buy the same goods in different countries (Mexico is $9800 per year)

HDI – Human Development Index – longevity, knowledge, income (Mexico’s literacy rate is
94% for men & 90.5% for women, life expectancy is 72.4 years for men and 78 years for women

Economic Dependency – a less developed country is often dependent on developed
countries for economic support and trade. Balanced trade is generally the key, a country is said to
be “developing” when it begins relying less on the stronger country to keep it afloat financially

Mexico is in the middle in terms of its development, it is generally
considered to be a “developing” country that has shown gradual
improvement in all of its indices
Transitional Democracy

Political Accountability

Political Competition

Political Freedom

Political Equality

Mexico has developed some democratic characteristics in recent
years, but still has many distinctions present from its authoritarian
history. Longevity of democratic practices is another way of
determining whether a country is a stable democracy, usually 40
years or more. Mexico does not yet fit this description.
XVI. Linkage Institutions

Mexico’s political parties, interest group, and
media all worked to link Mexican citizens to their
government

During the PRI era all of this took place under
the authority of the PRI party so a true civil
society did not exist

As democratization began and civil society
began to develop, these structures were already
in place, so activating democracy was easier
than it would have been otherwise
XVII. Political Parties

Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI)

National Action Party (PAN)

Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD)
PRI




In power from 1920-2000
Founded by coalition of elites led by President Calles
Originally elites agreed to trade favors and pass around power from
one cacique to another (Sexenio)
Corporatist structure – interest groups woven into the
structure of the party. Party has ultimate authority, but other voices heard by
bringing interest groups under the umbrella of the party. Structure is not
democratic, but allows for more input into government than other types of
authoritarianism. Particularly since Cardenas peasant and labor
organizations have been represented in the party and hold positions of
responsibility

Patron-client system – party traditionally gets its support from
rural areas where patron-client system is still in control. Patron-client system
allowed the PRI to remain in control of Mexicans as long as majority of
population was rural-based, this began to change in the late 1980s
PAN (Right of Center)

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Founded in 1939
Represents business interests opposed to centralization
and anti-clericalism
PAN support strongest in the north
PAN generally considered PRI’s opposition to the Right
PAN candidate Vicente Fox won 2000 presidential
election, Felipe Calderon won 2006 election
Platform



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Regional autonomy
Less government intervention in the economy
Clean & fair elections
Good rapport with Catholic Church
Support for private and religious education
PRD (Left of Center)

PRD considered PRI’s opposition to the Left

Presidential candidate in 1988 & 1994 was Cuahtemoc Cardenas
(son of Lazaro Cardenas)



He was ejected from the PRI for demanding reform that emphasized social justice
and populism
In 1988 Cardenas won 31.1% of the official vote, and PRD captured 139 seats in
the Chamber of Deputies (500 total)
Many believe had it been an honest election Cardenas would have won

PRD has been plagued by poor organization, lack of charismatic
leadership, and most importantly the lack of an economic alternative
to the market-oriented policies of the PRI & PAN

Andres Lopez Obrador, former mayor of Mexico City, was the PRD
candidate for president in the 2006 election. He lost by a slim margin
to Calderon (PAN)
Elections

Citizens in Mexico directly elect the president, Chamber of Deputy Representatives,
and Senators as well as most local & state officials

Elections are generally competitive, specifically in urban areas

Members of congress elected through dual system of “first-past-the-post” and
proportional representation

Proportional representation was increased in a major reform law in 1986, a change that gave power to
political parties that challenged PRI control

Each of Mexico’s 31 states elects three senators, 2 are determined by majority vote,
the other is determined by whichever party receives the second highest number of
votes

32 senate seats are determined nationally through a system of proportional
representation that divides the seats according to the number of votes cast for each
party (128 Senate seats in total)

In the Chamber of Deputies, 300 seats are determined by plurality within singlemember districts, and 200 are chosen by proportional representation
Voter Profiles

PRI – small town or rural, less educated, older, poorer

PAN – from the north, middle-class professional or
business, urban, better educated (at least high school,
some college) religious (or those less strict regarding
separation of church & state)

PRD – younger, politically active, from the central
states, some education, small town or urban
Election of 2000

PAN/PRD candidate Vicente Fox won presidency (43% of the vote compared to 36%
garnered for PRI candidate Francisco Labastida)

PAN captured 208 of 500 deputies in lower house

PRI captured 209 deputy seats in the lower house

PAN won 46 senate seats; PRI won 60 senate seats

New, competitive election system has encouraged coalitions to form to the right & left
of the PRI

Split in votes has encourage gridlock, phenomenon unknown to Mexico under the old
PRI-controlled governments

Election of 2006 – closely contested election, won by PAN candidate Felipe
Calderon by narrow margin over PRD candidate Andres Lopez Obrador
Interest Groups & Popular Movements

Corporatist structure allowed for accommodation of interest group

Business Interests – networked with political leaders to protect the growth of commerce,
finance, industry, and agriculture

Labor – accommodated within system, wage levels for union workers increased from 19401982, until economic crisis of lowering oil prices caused wages to drop. Power of union bosses
has decreased as unions weaken and members become more independent

Rural/Peasant Organizations – encouraged under PRI through the ejido system that
granted land from the government to these organizations. Since 1980s groups have demanded
greater independence from the government, and supported movements for better prices for crops,
and access to markets and credit. Joined with other groups to promote better education, health
services, and environmental practices

Urban/Popular Movements – concerned about social welfare spending, city services,
neighborhood improvement, economic development, feminism, and professional identity. As
groups become more independent and grow in strength the government and political system must
negotiate with them, and in doing so transform the political culture
Media

Part of the patron-client system under the PRI, with
rewards and favors doled out in return for political
support

Have become more independent as PRI-political
structure has been reorganized

Many Mexicans have access to international
newspapers, magazines, CNN and the BBC


“Toallagate” Scandal – overpriced towels at President Fox’s
mansion
“Comes y te vas” – Fidel Castro-U.N. meeting incident
XVIII. Government Institutions

Mexico is a federal republic, though state and local
governments have little independent power and few
resources

Executive branch has held majority of the power
historically

Legislative & Judicial branch followed the executive’s
lead, rubber-stamping most presidential decisions

Mexico has traditionally been an authoritarian and
corporatist regime
Executive Branch

Center of policy-making

Sexenio: non-renewable six-year term (Under PRI similar to dictator)




Selected successor
Appointed officials to all positions of power in the government
Named PRI candidates for other public offices
Until mid-1970s Mexican presidents were above criticism and people revered them as
symbols of national progress and well-being


Managed huge patronage system
Control over “rubber-stamp” Congress

President Ernesto Zedillo (1994-2000) –relinquished number of traditional powers of
the president, including naming the PRI candidate for the 2000 election

President Fox inherited the presidency in a time of transition


President still viewed as all powerful, but blamed for shortcomings
Harder for Fox to accomplish political goals without strong party support in the post-PRI
Congress
Bureaucracy

About 1.5 million people employed by federal government (Most in
Mexico City)

High & Middle level officials have a good deal of power

Under PRI corruption and bribes quite common amongst officials in
the bureaucracy

Parastatal Sector – semiautonomous government agencies that
often produce goods & services



PEMEX
After 1980’s oil bust reforms cut the number of para-statals, and
many are now privately owned
President Fox tried unsuccessfully to privatize PEMEX
Legislature

Bicameral

Chamber of Deputies (500-member)

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Senate (128-member)

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300 deputies from single-member districts (plurality)
200 deputies chosen by proportional representation
3 senators from each of the 31 states & the federal district(96)
Remaining 32 selected by proportional representation
All legislators directly elected
Until 1980s legislature remained under strict control of the president
PRI’s lost hold on legislature earlier than it did on the presidency
Lost majority in the Chamber of Deputies in 1997
Women in both houses has risen significantly since 1996 election
law required parties to sponsor female candidates



Parties must run at least 30% female candidates for proportional
representation and single-member district elections
113 of 500 deputies in Chamber are female
20 of 128 Senators are also female
Judiciary

Strong judicial branch necessary for a country to operate on the
“Rule of Law”
Mexico does not have an independent judiciary or judicial review
system
Most laws are federal, limiting the authority of state courts

Supreme Court

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On paper has judicial review, but it never overrules important government
policy or actions
Historically has been controlled by the executive branch
Judges appointed for life, but in practice resigned at the beginning of each
sexenio
President Ernesto Zedillo (1994-2000) attempted to strengthen courts by
emphasizing the rule of law, he refused to interfere with court judgments and
President Fox continued this policy
Fox tried to work for an independent judiciary but seems to have come up
short on this endeavor
Military

Dominated Mexican political life into the early 20th century

PRI dramatically cutback the political power of generals (even former
military generals who became presidents acted to separate the military from
politics)



Calles and Cardenas de-politicized the military
Continually moved generals to different regions of the country not allowing them to
develop a regional base of power
Presidents traded favors with military officers to allow them economic power, if not
political power

Government control of the military one of PRI’s most important
accomplishments

Strong ties between military officers and drug barons



Military heavily involved in drug-enforcement
Patron-client system of favors and loyalty has led some military officers to accept
money from drug lords in return for allegiance and security
General Jesus Gutierrez Rebollo (Head of anti-drug task force) arrested in 1997 on
accusations of protecting a drug lord
XIX. Policies & Issues

Economy

“Mexican Miracle”





1940-1960 economy grew more than 6% per year
Industrial production up nearly 9% per year during
1960s
Agricultural share of production down: 25% to 11%
Manufacturing share of production up: 25% to 34%
Problems


Growing gap between rich & poor
Rapid/Unplanned Urbanization
Economics II

Debt Crisis

Mexican government borrowed heavily in order to
industrialize

Most of the economic growth based on oil economy

Oil plummet in 1982, caused Mexican economy to
plummet as well

1987, Mexico over $107 billion in debt, debt
represented 70% of GNP
Economics III

Reform


Begun by President Miguel de la Madrid in 1982, continued by
presidents Salinas & Zedillo (the tecnicos)
Sharp cuts in Government Spending – according to agreements with
the IMF, World Bank, and the U.S. Mexico greatly reduced government spending
by eliminating public enterprises, cutting government subsidies, and cutting
hundreds of thousands of public jobs
 Debt Reduction – with assistance from U.S. the Mexican government
reached agreement to reduce interest rates on loans and allow for more lenient
repayment plans. Mexico still pays on average about $10 billion a year on loan
interests
 Privatization – many government industries were privatized, in 1990
President Salinas returned the banks to the private sector. Special laws like dutyfree importing of components and cheap labor led foreign companies to invest in
Mexican manufacturing plants
 Between 2001 and 2003 Mexico economy suffered from the postSeptember 11 U.S. recession. In 2004, the economy grew by 4.1%
but an estimated 40% of the Mexican population still lived below
the poverty line
Foreign Policy

GATT/WTO –

NAFTA – economics still dominates even in terms of foreign
in 1986 Mexico joined the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the precursor to the World
Trade Organization
policy

Immigration & Drug Trafficking – America still the
key focus for Mexican foreign policy
Issues of Democracy

Election Reform

CFE (Federal Election Reform) – created as an independent
regulatory body to safeguard honest and accurate election results

Campaign Finance Restriction – laws that limit campaign
contributions

International Watch Teams – so Mexico could convince other
countries that elections are fair and competitive

Election monitoring – done by opposition party members
Fox’s Legacy

Pluralism

Decentralization

Electoral Reform

Rule of Law

Anti-Narcotics Policy
“Ya Basta” Zapatista Movement
Lives On (EZLN)

EZLN – began in 1994 in Chiapas in protest of the signing of the NAFTA
treaty

Viewed agreement as a continued exploitation of landowners and PRI
bosses

EZLN captured four towns demanding jobs, land, housing, food, health,
education, independence, freedom, democracy, justice and peace

Rebellion originally based on ethnicity – Amerindian – but spread to other
factions of society

Zapatista supporters were black ski masks to hide their identity from the
government

Although a moderate truce was announced with the government, the Fox
administration was unable to negotiate a settlement to the dispute with the
Zapatistas despite numerous efforts to do so

Zapatistas represent the stance against all that is still wrong with Mexican