Politics Sciences: Our Word is Our Weapon Zapatista case - Book Report/Review Example

The focus of the Zapatistas was the struggle against neoliberalism which they did through non-violent means. However, against the wishes of the academics in the movement, the indigenous people who were the majority decided that an armed struggle based on the Guerilla tactics that had been prolific in other South American nations would be the best way to go. However, this did not last long and a ceasefire was brokered. The tools that were then adopted by the Zapatistas were largely based on social networks and were a clever use of cyberspace in order to draw support for a political cause (Subcomandante 142).

Throughout the struggle, the major focus has been on the rights of the indigenous people. In the ceasefire that was negotiated between the Zapatistas and the government in 1996, the resultant agreement was not presented to congress for ratification as the president was skeptical that entrenching those rights in the constitution would be counterproductive to the development of the indigenous people. The Zapatistas depended on indigenous people to represent them in all settings as they were the ultimate focus of the struggle.

The uprising of the Zapatistas and the struggle for democracy had a profound impact on the culture. The popular culture was practically taken from the hands of the ruling party PRI by the Zapatistas who propagated it through the internet. However, there was an impasse in the negotiations between the government and the EZLN, the Zapatista army, which had negative consequences to the indigenous people.. In the ceasefire that was negotiated between the Zapatistas and the government in 1996, the resultant agreement was not presented to congress for ratification as the president was skeptical that entrenching those rights in the constitution would be counterproductive to the development of the indigenous people.

The Zapatistas depended on indigenous people to represent them in all settings as they were the ultimate focus of the struggle. The uprising of the Zapatistas and the struggle for democracy had a profound impact on the culture. The popular culture was practically taken from the hands of the ruling party PRI by the Zapatistas who propagated it through the internet. However, there was an impasse in the negotiations between the government and the EZLN, the Zapatista army, which had negative consequences to the indigenous people.

Both sides of the impasse were involved in political battles aimed at wearing each other down. It is written that the impasse and political battles that followed were neither for peace nor for war but were largely conducted with sights trained on the national elections that were due in 2000. Meanwhile, the indigenous people’s living standards continued to deteriorate. This was coupled by violence that resulted from intercommunal disputes which were propelled by the state government in Chiapas.

There were very many murders that occurred in this period and also a large number of internal refugees occasioned by this violence The Zapatistas relentlessly used the voices of the indigenous people in order to advocate for their rights from the government. From a political perspective and from the lessons of history, the use of peaceful means to pressure a