W. Alejandro Sanchez: Mexico Violence Prompts Protest By Zapatistas W. Alejandro Sanchez - VOXXI
go to original October 11, 2014

Zapatistas in a silent march to denounce the 43 students disappeared/murdered in Mexico. (Twitter/e(A)tps @eatps_ )

Accusations that police killed 43 students in Iguala have unleashed protests throughout Mexico. Should the Mexican government continue delaying an in-depth investigation into the massacre, including the arrest of officials that have mysteriously disappeared, these demonstrations will certainly continue.

One group in particular that the government should not want to alienate are the Zapatistas, which carried out a non-violent protest demanding the punishment of the massacre’s culprits this past Wednesday. In the 1990s, the Zapatistas became a global household name that continues to enjoy international support today, and the Mexican government would be ill-advised get on their wrong side.

The massacre of Iguala

The incident that became known as the massacre of Iguala occurred on September 26th, when a number of students from the Escuela Normal Rural de Ayotzinapa that were travelling via bus were fired upon by a group of police officers. While details are still emerging, it appears that the police officers involved were subordinates of the Guerreros Unidos cartel.

Furthermore, recounts by survivors and confessions of police officers involved explain in detail the brutal way in which several students were taken to a mountain by Pueblo Viejo, a town in the state of Guerrero, to be executed. A total of 43 students are missing. As a result, authorities have been combing the area. So far, a number of pits have been found with the charred remains of some 28 individuals, though so far it is unclear if the bodies are those of the missing students.

The Zapatistas

The massacre has prompted protests throughout Mexico, particularly in the state of Guerrero and Mexico City. The Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN), popularly known as the Zapatistas, has joined the demonstrations.

The Zapatista movement, made up of indigenous Mexicans, gained national and worldwide prominence in 1994 when they staged a series of protests demanding greater autonomy. The EZLN’s reliance on non-violent initiatives and the eloquence of its long-time leader, sub-comandante Marcos, helped the group garner international support. To this day, scholarly analyses highlight the Zapatista movement as an example of a successful, non-violent, indigenous initiative.

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