Indigenous rights and internal wars: The Chiapas conflict at 15 years

Abstract

This article examines the origins and outcomes of the indigenous-based Zapatista rebellion launched 15 years ago in Chiapas, Mexico. The precursors responsible for the resistance movement are assessed, as well as the proximate events which convinced the indigenous communities to embrace a militarized approach. International relations conflict theory is plumbed for explanations of the conflict and for conflict resolution strategies relevant to this particular event. This study finds that the conflict in Chiapas was the consequence of two antecedent conditions – systematic human rights abuses and extreme material deprivation; and two proximate factors – NAFTA ratification and pending revisions to communal land laws. The article also explains how violence mitigation was subsequently achieved as a result of the behavior of state and non-state actors.