Zapatista Army of National Liberation

The Zapatista Army is a socialist movement among native Mexican cultures in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. The Zapatistas see them as ideological heirs to Emiliano Zapata, a reformer and commander in the Mexican Revolution. The rebels first "declared war" on the Mexican government in 1994 on the day of the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The Zapatistas oppose NAFTA, and other actions of the Mexican government that harm the indigenous farmers of Mexico. On January 1st, 1994, the Zapatistas attacked from the jungles of the state of Chiapas, and seized towns in the region, liberated prisoners from jails, and attacked police and military outposts. The Zapatista rebels were quickly defeated by the Mexican military, however, within twelve days. The Zapatistas, however, still exist, mostly as a political movement for the autonomy, but not complete independence of Chiapas and the economic right of indigenous peoples to the profits from natural resources on their land.