Chiapas

This Weekend I took a whirlwind tour through the southernmost state of Mexico, Chiapas! Chiapas is beautiful with an ever changing beautiful land scape, at time everything around me was inspiring shades of green, grass lands, jungles or golden fields of corn in red earth. it was all amazing the most beautiful I have ever been!

Chiapas is also the poorest state in Mexico. The majority of the people in Chiapas are rural farmers, many of the indigenous people are of Mayan descent. There are many pueblos without roads or accesses to cities in these pueblos the predominant language is Ch'ol ( a Mayan language) and many people do not speak Spanish.

Chiapas in home to the Zapatistias. The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is an armed revolutionary army that has declared war on the Mexican government. They are made up predominately of indigenous people. They initially rose up in response to the Mexican oppression of the indigenous and the signing of NAFTA. From what I understand, they believe that the Mexican government is run by drugs and corruption, this corruption is what oppresses the indigenous people. They believe the land in chiapas should first benefit the people of chiapas, they say the Mexican government is raping the land and the people.

I really don't know much about them but i find them interesting, i think when i get home i will pick up a book to learn more. One interesting thing i did find was the Zapatistias Women's Revolutionary Law

Women's Revolutionary Law

1. Women, regardless of their race, creed, color or political affiliation, have the right to participate in the revolutionary struggle in any way that their desire and capacity determine.
2. Women have the right to work and receive a just salary.
3. Women have the right to decide the number of children they have and care for.
4. Women have the right to participate in the matters of the community and have charge if they are free and democratically elected.
5. Women and their children have the right to Primary Attention in their health and nutrition.
6. Women have the right to education.
7. Women have the right to choose their partner and are not obliged to enter into marriage.
8. Women have the right to be free of violence from both relatives and strangers.