27 years ago today the Zapatista Uprising began when the EZLN declared war on the Mexican government from the Lacandona jungle in Chiapas, Mexico. 
The 1994 uprising was programmed to coincide with the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The Zapatistas aimed to regain land and wealth from the most privileged and redistribute it among the oppressed.
Led by the figurehead of the movement known as subcomandante Marcos, the Zapatistas were considered a grave danger by the Mexican government for their actions & grabbing international media attention. In 2006 the EZLN became a political organization, leaving the armed insurgency.
27 years after the uprising, the Zapatista movement still has a large influence in Chiapas and has created several forms of self-governance following Indigenous Mayan tradition which has introduced social policies like universal healthcare and community college.
The Zapatistas continue to inspire Indigenous movements and oppressed peoples worldwide.
(Photos via Reuters, Getty and AP, and by raulfernandopl on Instagram)
(Photos via Reuters, Getty and AP, and by raulfernandopl on Instagram)
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