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"We are all Government: Zapatista Political Community. Contexts, Challenges, and Prospects" A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2012 Martha Areli Ramirez Sanchez SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY Table of Contents Contents:……………………………………………………… 2 Abbreviations...................................................................................... 6 Glossary:………………………………………………………… 8 Abstract:…………………………………………………………… 11 Declaration:………………………………………………………… 12 Copyright Statement:………………………………………………. 13 Acknowledgements:………………………………………………… 14 Introduction:………………………………………………………… 15 Chapter 1. Context of autonomy. 39 1.1. Context in which the EZLN arose:………………………… 39 1.2. Useful concepts for addressing the study of autonomy: 44 1.3. Resistance, collective memory, identity, and autonomy:……… 48 1.4. Creation of the Good Government Councils:…………… 50 1.5. The governmental counterinsurgency strategy:………… 53 1.6. Social development initiatives in Chiapas:…………… 57 1.7. The constitutional indigenous municipality and the Zapatista 59 municipality:.................................................................................. 1.8. Indigenous government and national politics:……………… 61 1.9. Government or political administration?.......................................... 63 1.10. Continuity and change. Indigenous government:...... 66 1.11. San Andres Larrainzar – San Andres Sakam Ch'en de los 67 Pobres: 1.12. Governments and negotiations:……………………………… 68 1.13.The Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle and recent 70 communiqués:............................................................................. 1.14. Final thoughts:............................................................................... 72 2 Chapter 2: A Practice of Autonomy: the Good Government Councils 73 and the Zapatista Caracoles 2.1. The globalization of Good Governance:...................................... 73 2.2. “Re-convergence” of political elites: the official Mexican party 75 and the context of the Zapatista movement:....................................... 2.3. The birth of the Caracoles:………………………………… 80 2.4. Seven years later: the Caracols:……………………………… 82 2.5. Caracol I - La Realidad:……………………………….................. 83 2.6. Caracol II - Morelia:……………………………………… 85 2.7. Caracol III - La Garrucha:…………………………………… 87 2.8. Caracol IV - Roberto Barrios:………………………………… 89 2.9. Caracol V – Oventic:…………………………………………… 91 2.10. The Good Government Councils:………………........................... 94 2.11. General functions of the Councils:………………… 95 2.12. Composition of the Councils:……………………....................... 96 2.13. Fulfilling cargos:…………………………………………… 98 2.14. Government positions: voluntary cargos:………… 100 2.15. Conflict resolution:………………………………………… 101 2.16. Good Government Councils: proposed objectives and goals: 102 2.17. Fulfilling tasks:…………………………………………… 105 2.18. Common objective: creating autonomy:…………………… 108 2.19. Final thoughts:………………………………………… 111 Chapter 3: The political community: the case of the community La 114 Humanidad 3.1. The Tojolabal people:……………………………… 117 3.2. Agrarian reform: the permanent struggle for land………… 119 3 3.3. The context: the municipality of Las Margaritas……… 121 3.4. Tojolabals and Mestizos in Chiapas:…………………………… 122 3.5. The finca days:……………………… 124 3.6. Land purchase:……………………………… 126 3.7. The Tojolabal community after life on the hacienda:…… 130 3.8. Exile:………………………………………………… 132 3.9. Recuperated land:……………………………………………… 135 136 3.10. A unique project: the new community…….................................. 3.11. Defence of the land:………………………......................... 137 3.12. The Good Government Council in their new daily life:......... 139 3.12.Final thoughts:…………………………………………… 140 Chapter 4: The government is all of us! 142 4.1. The political community:………………………………… 142 4.2. The community La Humanidad today:……………… 144 4.3. Internal organisation:……………………………………… 148 4.4. The Zapatista community and their neighbours:………… 155 4.5. Differences within the community:…………………… 160 4.6. Differences in origin:………………………………………… 161 4.7. The emergence of complex actors:…………………… 164 4.8. Conflict resolution:……………………………………………… 167 4.9. Other conflicts, other alternatives:…………………………… 169 4.10. Building a life together:…………………………………… 171 4.11. The community and the Good Government Council:………… 173 4.12. Final thoughts:………………………………………… 175 Chapter 5: Limits and challenges of autonomy 179 5.1. Shared histories: Collective memories as a political tool:…… 179 4 5.2. The new generation of Zapatistas and what this means for the 181 community; changing of views of autonomy; limits to autonomy:…… 5.3. The challenges of maintaining national and international 182 solidarity while avoiding dependency:………………… 5.4. The significant phenomena of recent Zapatista deserters and lost 184 supporters, old allies, new neighbours:………………………… 5.5. Disparity among communities:……………………………… 186 5.6. The need for and cost of a standing army (EZLN) in a hostile 187 environment:………… 5.7. The meaning of the Zapatista concepts “autonomy”, “resistance”, 187 “mandar obedeciendo” (lead by obeying) and “caminando preguntamos” (as we walk, we ask questions):…………………… 5.8. Challenges of other organisations with similar practices as the 191 Zapatistas:............................................................................................. 5. 9. What counts as traditional?.................................................... 194 5.10. Creation of indigenous identity:………………………… 196 5.11- Introduction of Maoist thought and Union Organization:…… 197 5.12. How to understand the difference?............................ 197 5.13. Final thoughts:……………………………………… 200 Conclusions:………………………………………………………… 2002 References:……………………………………………………… 210 5 Abbreviations: ARIC Asociación Rural de Interés Colectivo (Rural Association of Collective Interest) CAPISE Centro de Análisis Político e Investigaciones Sociales y Económicas (Centre for Political Analysis and Social and Economic Research). CIEPAC Centro de Investigaciones Económicas y Políticas de Acción en Chiapas (Centre for Economic and Political Research and Community Action in Chiapas). CIESAS Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social (Centre for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology). CIOAC Central Independiente de Obreros y Campesinos (Independent Union of Workers and Campesinos). CNC Confederación Nacional Campesina (National Campesino Federation). COCEI Coalicion Obrera, Campesina y Estudiantil del Itsmo (Coalition of Workers, Campesino, and Students of the Isthmus). CORCI Coordinadora Regional de Organizaciones Campesinas e Indígenas (Regional Coordination of Peasant and Indigenous Organizations). DESCAI Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales Indígenas (Economic, Social, Cultural, and Indigenous Rights). ECOSUR El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (College of the Southern Frontier). ENAH Escuela Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (National School of Anthropology and History). EZLN Ejercito Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (Zapatista Army of National Liberation). FRAYBA Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de las Casas (Human Rights Centre Fray Bartolomé de las Casas) LO International Labour Organization. IMF International Monetary Bank. 6 IPN Instituto Politécnico Nacional (National Polytechnic Institute). MAREZ Municipios Autónomos Rebeldes Zapatistas (Autonomous Rebel Zapatista Municipalities. NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement. OCOMPE Organización Campesina Obrero Magisterial Popular Estudiantil (Popular Peasant, Worker, Teacher, and Student Organization) OPDDIC Organización para la Defensa de los Derechos Indígenas y Campesinos (Organization for Defence of Indigenous and Campesino Rights). PAN Partido Acción Nacional (National Action Party). PFCRN Partido del Frente Cardenista de Reconstrucción Nacional (Cardenist Front for National Reconstruction). PRD Partido de la Revolución Democrática (Party of the Democratic Revolution). PRI Partido de la Revolución Institucional (Institutional Revolutionary Party). PST Partido Socialista de los Trabajadores (Socialist Workers’ Party). PVEM Partido Verde Ecologista de México (Mexican Green Ecologist Party). RAP Regiones Autónomas Pluri-etnicas (Pluri-ethnic Autonomous Region). SEDESOL Secretaria de Desarrollo Social (Secretary of Social Development). UAM Universidad Autónoma de México (Autonomous Metropolitan University). UES Unión de Ejidos de la Selva (Union of Jungle Ejidos). UNACH Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (Autonomous University of Chiapas). UNAM Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (National Autonomous University of Mexico). 7 Glossary: Barricadas: This term refers to the civil population’s direct action while resisting armed attacks by State Police during the 2006 confrontation. Campamentistas: In general, Zapatista sympathizers who visit the Caracoles or Zapatista communities are referred to as campamentistas. They may carry out a variety of tasks, from human rights observation, to offering workshops, to simply visiting the communities Campamento: This is the site built for visitors to stay after having obtained the necessary permission. Each Caracol, as well as this community, has a campamento. Compañero and compañera: This is the manner in which Zapatista members refer to each other. The term has been adopted from other Latin American revolutionary movements, such as the Cuban Revolution. Zapatistas also use it to refer to non-Zapatista visitors