wildcat.zirkular
Chiapas
Auszüge aus einem Interview mit Sub-Commandante Marcos vom Ejercito Zapatista Revolucion de Nationale (EZLN) am 1.1.94
Robert Ovetz: Is this the start of an armed struggle against Mexico?
Sub-Commandante Marcos: Yes.
O: ...throughout the whole country or just in this region?
M: In all the country. It is the beginning.
O: Today is the start?
M: Yes. Of the revolution of the whole country against the government of Salinas de Gortari. We begin today in four cities.
O: Do you seek the overthrow of the Mexican government?
M: What?
O: Do you seek a new government.
M: Yes.
O: Who would be the new government or how would it come about?
M: We seek that the government would be denied.
O: Be abolished?
M: Then the people must make a government of transition. This government of transition calls a new election in terms of liberty and democracy.
O: Is the EZLN, does it come out of existing organizations.
M: No, god save us. God save us. No. No. It's different. No. This moment it was born in the mountains.
O: So it is mostly indigenous people that belong to the group.
M: Yes. It is majority in Chiapas. But in other states of the country there is other composition. But here in Chiapas it is Tzeltal, Tzotzil, Zoque, Chocivalis, Sokema [unclear]. ... They have an accord.
O: An accord?
M: Yes. Tzotzil. Tzeltal. Chocovachis [unclear].
O: What can people from the United States, where I'm from do to support you.
M: The NAFTA! The NAFTA of the revolution! The principle people of the American is the...that you call the chicanos. There are many people of Mexico there. There are another Mexico in Los Angles, San Diego and so forth.
O: The whole Southwest.
M: Yes. They remember all the oppression, all exploitation, all the humiliation that they suffer here in Mexico. And that situation forces them to go to the United States. I think that people would be more happy if they have his level of life that have in the United States but in Mexico-his land with his people with his family with history. They must sow this movement with sympathy...sympathy...I don't know how to say it. With sympathy.
O: And with NAFTA the people that do have land will end up losing it very quickly.
M: Forget it. Forget it. With NAFTA the death of the people is just like the bombs that have airplane which have ... [gesturing to the military jets circling overhead]. So if NAFTA begin in first of January of 94 and the death of these people begin this day why don't ... why not begin the liberation of these people right this day. So they decided, just begin, do it.
O: Who do you take inspiration from?
M: Zapata.
O: Zapata.
M: Zapata. Emiliano Zapata was a farmer? ... um, little farmer ... or um pisant.= ..
O: Peasant?
M: ...peasant ... that raised his struggle, can back his community like these people, and says I want this now ... I want this now ... I want this now ... so he take the arm. ... we want land..
O: Oh the redistribution of land.
M: Yes. And the lot of people have a few land and land with bad conditions for live, of health, of productions, of commercializations ... commercialization. The late stage of the human being they are the indian people in Chiapas. There are the rich men in Mexico, the medium men in Mexico, the poor men in Mexico, the very poor men in Mexico and at last but not least the Indian Mexico. Worst, worse as you can be.
O: It's like that in every country that has indigenous people.
M: Yes. And in every state of this country. Not only Chiapas-Tabasco, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chihuahua, Puebla. There are many people indian. I think that they so ... they began to think. And they began to make a lot of things like this and even better.
O: Among the leaders of the EZLN how many indigenous people are there ... is it led by indigenous?
M: The leaders are Indians in sudest. In other parts of the country I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, what is it ... But here it is the composition class of origin of these Indians ... Tzotzil of the altos of Chiapas, Tzeltal of Margaritas las principales ... the principale Indians of his states have representation in the common leaderships of this army but we think there are more kinds of struggle not only the struggle with arms.