Perspectives
A Short Chronicle of the Zapatista “Travesía por la Vida” ✍
Collective Let’zapatistas
O
n 22.06.2021, the ship La Montaña touched land in Vigo, Spain for the Travesía por la Vida, Journey for Life. The Zapatista expedition Escuadrón 421, composed of four women, two men and one otroa, renamed Europe, Slumil K’ajxemk’op (Insubmissive Land, Tierra Insumisa) to mark their arrival as a symbol of a reverse conquest, a consensual conquest. According to Jérôme Baschet, “To make this voyage in reverse is to nuance a history that has assigned deeply entrenched and unambiguous positions to the vanquisher and the vanquished, and unlock the possibility for an alternative history.”1
Such an absurd quest seemed impossible in the midst of covid19, international political and economic uncertainty and constant closed borders. But it happened. The Escuadrón 421 was not the only one to invade. On 14.09.2021, the so-called Extemporánea formed by 177 Zapatistas arrived in Vienna, Austria by plane. Their name, Extemporánea, gives reference to how inadequate, inappropriate and out of time their presence was: the fact that many of the Zapatistas had no mexican birth certificate or official documents as if they practically did not exist; the fact they confronted immense trouble at bureaucratic offices to get a passport and they were told they were out of place and time; the fact the Zapatistas chose such inappropriate moment (during an unraveling pandemic); and the fact that for many of the Zapatistas, it would be the first time they travel outside their region, outside Mexico, and outside of the continent America. In all, this was an absurd
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counterintuitive ridiculous idea… that actually happened.
The Zapatistas came to Slumil K’ajxemk’op for a dialogue to share their struggles and dreams and to listen to the struggles and dreams of other corners of the world. The Zapatistas came to Slumil K’ajxemk’op for a dialogue to share their struggles and dreams and to listen to the struggles and dreams of other corners of the world. Such audacity and boldness to dream was refreshing and appealing for a wider public beyond the longstanding supporters of the Zapatistas in Europe. The interest extended to environmental, LGBTQIA+, women’s rights, antifascists, anticapitalists, agriculture and autonomous movements, among others. The simple idea to dare to dream to reach Europe to share and listen to stories, struggles, and hopes was in itself revolutionary, or better said, rebellious.
La Extemporánea The Extemporánea was formed by “grupos de Escucha y Palabra”, groups of around 5 or 6 persons prepared to listen and to speak. More than half of the Za-
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional, EZLN), widely known as the Zapatistas, fight for indigenous rights in Mexico. They reside in Chiapas and they are mainly indigenous peoples with Mayan origins. Their uprising took place on January 1, 1994 with NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) going into effect in Canada, USA and Mexico. The Zapatistas called NAFTA a death sentence not only to indigenous people but to life itself as a premonition of the coming globalization. That day the Zapatistas declared war to the Mexican government. After 12 days of the Zapatistas’ insurrection, the Mexican government and the Zapatistas sat down for dialogue. It concluded with the Acuerdos de San Andrés in 1996. Nevertheless, the government ignored the agreements and increased military presence. The Zapatistas have today 28 years of self-organization, autonomy, resistance and rebellion based on ideas of a libertarian socialist and radical democracy. In 2020 the Zapatistas decided to travel for what they call a Journey for Life, Travesia por la Vida, to plant the seeds of rebellion.
patistas were women. The Extemporánea was led by SubMoises and other 5 sub comandantes and they coordinated the whole quest across Europe. The strategy was to divide and conquer, as they spread the groups across regions and countries. One larger group called El Comando Palomitas, was formed by children and their mothers. The Zapatistas considered the inclusion of children in such a quest as part of their rebellion. The Extemporánea practically visited most of continental Europe (eastern and central Europe, Iberian peninsula), Nordic countries and UK, and even Cyprus. Although they had invitations to visit Turkey and Greece, it was not possible to visit those countries. Their visit
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