Declarations of the Lacandona Jungle of 1994. Context and the present

Abstract

This essay offers a brief reflection on the context and current events of two out of the six Zapatista declarations, both issued in 1994. Analysts exchange perspectives to make a retrospective reading of 1994, year of the Zapatista armed uprising in view of its 30th anniversary celebrated on January 1, 2024. The context of the democratic transition in which the first declaration takes place is highlighted, as well as the violent and counterinsurgency reaction of the Mexican State. The second declaration points out the importance of dialogues for peace and the Zapatistas’ commitment to a political solution rather than an armed one. The text closes by mentioning the way in which the Zapatista declarations are a watershed for the struggles of the people in resistance as well as for the anti-capitalist and anti-patriarchal struggles of planet Earth.