Basta! Land and the Zapatista Rebellion in Chiapas

by George A. Collier, Elizabeth Lowery Quaratiello

first comprehensive history of movement

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Anthropology, Economics, Native American, Indigenous

183 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1994

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story about the Zapatistas has always been that their rebellion, launched on New Year's Day 1994, was in protest of NAFTA, which went into effect on that day. Collier's book makes it clear that the economic, social and political changes that fueled the rebellion were mostly local and national in origin, and had been brewing for decades. NAFTA was a convenient post-facto news peg, although a compelling one since the treaty promised an accelerated version of the economic disruption that sparked the uprising in the first place.

The book discusses a number of changes to the society of southern Mexico over the years -- including the abandonment of agrarian reform by the ruling party, the oil boom and credit crisis in the early 1980s, the rise and co-optation of numerous peasant movements -- documenting how those changes reverberated through the indigenous social and economic networks. One key conclusion seems to be that a neo-liberal economic agenda paired with an authoritarian political structure is a recipe for trouble.

Although the book is a great introduction to context in which the Zapatistas arose, they themselves are largely absent from the story, appearing only in a handful of manifestos and media interviews. It was originally published in 1994, only a few months after the EZLN burst onto the international scene and well before anyone knew quite what to make of them. That also makes the book fairly dated. Eighteen years of NAFTA, plus rising drug violence and mass migration across Mexico's "other border" have surely re-written the story of southern Mexico yet again.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those who would emulate the Zapaztistas would do well to more deeply understand the context in which they work and all that led up to their entrance on the international stage. This slim book, written in 1994, does a good job of laying out economic and cultural histories, on both the macro and micro levels, that have formed Chiapas, and made something like the Zapatistas both possible and necessary.

[James Kenniff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rather consistently dry book that’s more an economic history of Chiapas and its “indianist” policy rather than any story of the revolution. Interesting quote from Marcos about the NAFTA date being chosen mostly at random, and some vignettes of trucker-mayor-mafioso types and collectives of flower vendors, but that’s about all I got from it.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book primarily engages in outlining the historical context of the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico. While the uprising had its immediate catalyst in the government's rescission of land reforms, economic and demographic changes during the second half of the 20th century had already led to inequalities cutting across ethnic lines, but which due to a history of subjugation and colonialist policies indigenous communities were often particularly unable to sustain.
Little exposition is spared for the history and tactics of the movement itself, and developments in the five years following its first public activity in 1994 are largely limited to the epilogue, but in accounting for the Zapatistas' motives and the reasons for their demands the authors are successful.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah the Zapatistas. how we liberal americas love to love them without actually doing anything for them. They are like ernesto guevara, we love him but not many people has actually read his words. Well this book will give you the information you need to understand why the people of chiapas did what they did.

[Tomek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collier has provided a thorough explanation for the Zapatista Uprising and the role of neoliberalism in the current socio-economic strife in Chiapas. My only quibble is he does not fully document the history of the rebellion itself; instead choosing to focus on the events leading up to and sustaining the rebellion. Although it is academic, it is easy and dare I say pleasurable to read.

[Adrienne]

Interesting discussion of the Zapatista Rebellion in Chiapas and the history of the region and relationship of the indigenous peoples of that area to Mexico and its government. Shows how land reforms policies and Mexican-sponsored economic imperialism have hit the people hard economically.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was filled with lots of interesting history. It did turn a bit dry and finishing it was difficult.

[Draco3seven Crawdady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good starting point for understanding Chiapas and the EZLN uprising... From an in action point of view.

[Maddie L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read about 60-70% of the book for a modern Mexico class and absolutely loved it!! The amount of depth to discuss the “Indian question” in Mexico was fascinating, and looking at all the factors leading up to the 1994 rebellion was intriguing.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poorly edited but well researched book on the rise of the Zapatistas.

[Julia Hannafin · Rating 5 out of 5]

i learned a ton about the historical context for the zapatista rebellion from this book, which traces a history of the land and the promises, most unkept, of the mexican government to the people of chiapas. how livelihoods changed and waxed and waned, how peasants and indigenous people were left out of solutions and coopted into others. i admire many things about this book—how thorough it is, how it doesn’t shy away from the complicated realties of the subject, for ex. that there were peasants and indigenous people in chiapas who maintained loyalty to the ruling party and/or did not support the zapatistas, either won over by a history of land support, such as president lázaro cárdenas, or by more recent compromises that granted them land concessions.

i am thinking about the shift described in this book to meet the demands of an international capitalist economy, the neoliberal choices mexico made that resulted in, as one example, chiapas producing electricity for a huge swath of the country but its residents not having electricity on a widespread level themselves. “a rich land, a poor people.” how farming transformed into an export game with workers paid low wages in pesos instead of corn.

i am thinking about collier’s assertion that in a post cold war era, “Mexico can no longer count on the legitimacy it once held internationally by offering a compromise between capitalism and socialism.”

i am thinking about the zapatistas’ assertion that “government agencies and public institutions must be accountable to the constituencies they serve—rather than vice versa.” the zapatista themselves described their own organization by placing popular assemblies on top with committee members below. an exact flip of how we have come to recognize government.

the book is dated now, and i’m eager to read from the point it ends into the future—how the zapatistas handled the war of attrition ongoing with the mexican military, how demands for rights and autonomy played out. it was inspiring to me in a more general sense to read and recognize how their demands echoed demands of the black panthers and other revolutionary groups—a call connected to struggles around the world.

[Valena Arguello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revolution and development in the third world is fascinating, great topic

[Arief Wicaksono · Rating 3 out of 5]

inspiring