Emiliano Zapata


Emiliano Zapata (August 8, 1879 – April 9, 1919) was a leading figure
in the Mexican Revolution of 1910 against the dictatorship of Porfirio D’az.
He is considered to be one of the national heroes of Mexico; the Zapatistas,
a revolutionary movement based in the state of Chiapas, take their name from him.

Zapata was born in the small central Mexican state of Morelos in the village
of Anenecuilco. At the time Mexico was ruled by a dictatorship under D’az,
who had seized power in 1876.

The social system of the time was a sort of proto-capitalist feudal system,
with large landed estates (haciendas) controlling more and more of the land
and squeezing it away from independent communities of Indians (pueblos), who
were then subsequently forced into debt slavery (peonage) on the haciendas.
D’az ran local elections to pacify the peones and run a government that they
could argue was self-imposed. Under D’az close confidants and associates
were given offices in districts throughout Mexico. These offices became the
enforcers of land reforms that concentrated the haciendas into fewer hands.

Zapata's family, although not enormously wealthy, still retained
independence. They were never in danger of poverty, avoiding peonage and
maintaining their own land (ranchero). In fact the family had in previous
generations been porfirista, that is, supporters of D’az. Zapata himself
always had a reputation for being a fancy dresser, appearing at bullfights
and rodeos in his elaborate charro (cowboy) costume. Though his flashiness
would usually have associated him with the rich hacendados who controlled
the lands, he seems to have retained the admiration and even adoration of
the people of his village, Anenecuilco, so that by the time he was 30 he was
the chief of the village.

Though he was not of pure indigenous blood (he had some Spanish ancestry and
was considered mestizo), Zapata quickly became involved in struggles for the
rights of the Indians of Morelos. He observed numerous conflicts between
villagers and hacendados over the constant theft of village land, and in one
terrible instance saw the hacendados torch an entire village.

For many years he campaigned steadily for the rights of the villagers, first
establishing via ancient title deeds the claims of the villagers to disputed
land, and then pressing the recalcitrant governor of Morelos into action.
Finally, disgusted with the slow response from the government and the overt
bias towards the wealthy plantation owners, Zapata began making use of armed
force, simply taking over the land in dispute.

At this time, Porfirio D’az was being threatened by the candidacy of
Francisco I. Madero. Zapata made quiet alliances with Madero, who at the
time was perceived as a chance for genuine change in Mexico.

In 1910, unrest finally broke out in the formation of guerrilla bands.
Zapata quickly took an important role, becoming the general of an army that
formed in Morelos (the Ejercito Libertador del Sur – Liberation Army
of the South).

Zapata was partly influenced by an anarchist from Northern Mexico named
Ricardo Flores Mag—n. The influence of Mag—n on Zapata can be seen in the
Zapatismo Plan de Ayala, but even more noticably in the Zapatista slogan
"Tierra y libertad" or "land and liberty," the title and maxim of Mag—n's
most famous work. Zapata's introduction to anarchism came via a local
schoolteacher, Otilio Montano, who exposed Zapata to the works of Peter
Kropotkin and Flores Mag—n at the same time as Zapata was observing and
beginning to participate in the struggles of the peasants for the land.

D’az was overthrown by Madero, largely due to widespread rebellions by the
peones. Under Madero, some new land reforms were carried out and elections
were to be ensured. However, Zapata was dissatisfied with Madero's stance on
land reform, and was unable, despite repeated efforts, to make Madero
understand the importance of the issue or to get him to act on it and
support the Plan de Ayala. Finally, after Madero's appointment of a governor
who supported the plantation owners and his lack of motion towards settling
the land issue to Zapata's satisfaction, Emiliano mobilised the Liberation
Army again.

Madero, alarmed, asked Zapata to disarm and demobilise. Zapata responded
that, if the people could not win their rights now, when they were armed,
they would have no chance once they were unarmed and helpless. Madero sent
several generals to try and defang Zapata with little success.

Madero was soon thereafter overthrown by Victoriano Huerta, a former
porfirista general, who gave amnesty to D’az and suppressed indigenous
resistance to land reforms. The peasant reaction to this increased the size
of Zapata's forces considerably, and also gave rise to a new group in the
north: the Villistas under Pancho Villa. The Villistas were mainly composed
of Madero supporters. Zapata at first was hesitant to meet with Villa, after
Villa vehemently rejected the Plan de Ayala when a Zapatista introduced him
to the concept in prison.

Opposition to Huerta coalesced under Venustiano Carranza, who led a
Constitutionalist faction which both Villa and Zapata eventually allied
with. These forces proved too much for Huerta to match, and he was quickly
deposed. Following his defeat, the Constitutionalists set up a convention to
decide the form of the government. Zapata refused to attend the convention,
pointing out that none of the attendees had been elected. Instead the chiefs
in Morelos sent a delegation to present the Plan de Ayala for consideration
and observe the state of the convention.

Soon thereafter Carranza had himself made head of the government, which
sparked further outrage. Initially Carranza commanded the loyalty of çlvaro
Obreg—n, who suppressed the Villista guerrillas. The Zapatistas, however,
remained mobilized, but grew increasingly fractured after many long years of
campaigning.

The Carranza regime ultimately put a bounty on Zapata's head, expecting
disenfranchised Zapatistas to betray him. It also attempted to entice away
the other chiefs in the Zapatista army; neither proposition proved
successful.

On April 9, 1919, a General Guajardo invited Zapata for a meeting,
pretending to be friendly towards him. When Zapata arrived, Guajardo riddled
him with bullets and turned his body in for the bounty (getting half of what
was originally promised).

Following Zapata's death, the Liberation Army of the South slowly fell
apart, eventually disappearing after Obreg—n's rebellion deposed Carranza.
Zapata's influence, however, is visible today, particularly in revolutionary
tendencies in south Mexico.

Zapata has been represented in the movies by Marlon Brando (1952), Jaime
Fern‡ndez (1966), Tony Davis, (1969), Antonio Aguilar (1970), and Alejandro
Fern‡ndez (2002 – in Nahuatl language))