Indiginous Resistence in Guatemala vs. Mexico

My initial response to the Sixth Declaration of the Selva Lacandona was that the Zapatistas had a lot of the same needs and goals as the Maya resistance movements. Despite differences in the seriousness and specificis of their situations, both the Mexican Zapatistas and the Guatemalan indians wanted to be free of economic, political, and violent persecution and exploitation. They don't trust the capitalist system, because they have been forced to change their type of living in response to economic repression and globalization. Rebels from both nations attempted to protest through politics and sometimes violence. However, isolating themselves from the overarching capitalist system was also a method of living out their ideas.

Even more interesting to me than the similarities are the differences in the overall goals of the two groups. The Zapatistas, according to the Declaration, are trying to unify different oppressed groups throughout the world. They see capitalism and neoliberalism as the ultimate antagonists towards freedom and fairness. Contrarily, while the Guatemalan indians certainly were victims of economic exploitation, they focused inwards on their own cultures. They emphasized their customs and communicated very little with the outside world. The community remained the central focus; even when people from different tribes formed CPR's, they did not organize into larger supraregional political groups (Milborn 167). Our readings so far suggest that the indíginas viewed Guatemalan ladinos and the military as the main opressors, instead of global economic problems.

In the Declaration, the Zapatistas refer to Argentina, Honduras, and several other Latin American countries. The Zapatistas sympathize and want to work together with resistance movements from these countries. Interestingly, they don't mention Guatemala, even though the indíginas in that country experienced the worst violent persecution. Maybe this is because of the time difference in the movements (since the Declaration was written only a few years ago, while technically the Guatemalan civil war ended during the 1990's). However, as we have discussed in class, the Guatemalan indíginas still experience poverty and prejudice. Maybe the Zapatistas don't mention Guatemala, because it the movement there seems much more isolated and the focus is around communities instead of global action.

Of course, there are many reasons that the Guatemalan resistance movements were isolated. The language barriers, cultural differences, and even transportation issues made it difficult for indíginas to unite even within Guatemala. Additionally, the military's systematic violence toward the indíginas was certainly successful in many ways. On the other hand, the Zapatistas in Mexico probably had much more freedom to communicate with other groups in Mexico and even the rest of the world. By confronting capitalism instead of a specific group (the ladinos), the Zapatistas may be more able to expand their support base.

Based on the readings, the difference appears to be the intensity of prejudice as a cause of social and economic problems. We know that in Guatemala, the Maya were almost always the targets of violence and oppression, especially during the height of the Civil War in the early 1980’s. While there were and still are poor ladinos, they do not face the same types of prejudice and have greater social mobility. The indíginas' cultures and not their economic statuses, determined how they would be treated. Conversely, the Zapatistas seek cooperation from all the poor people everywhere, and even other disenfranchised and persecuted groups, such as homosexuals, religious workers, factory laborers, and even women. In fact, even though the Declaration opposed the United States government, it recognizes that even some Americans could be considered part of the anti-neoliberal movement and invites their participation.

I can’t actually say how much of the Declaration is just rhetoric and how much of it is accurate in describing the movement’s actions and goals. Although I don't know very much about the Zapatista movement in general, my conclusion, based on the reading, is that the Zapatistas' mission is attempting to look outward and gain support from a wide variety of groups throughout the world. However, the indíginas in Guatemala, because of communication barriers and cultural/community focus, did the opposite and fought oppression largely alone.