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Mexico’s Zapatista rebels, 24 years on and defiant in mountain strongholds
Source: The Guardian
The peasant rebels took up arms in 1994, and now number 300,000 in centers with their own doctors, teachers and currency, but rarely answer questions – until now
Diners in the Tierradentro cafe in the southern Mexican town of San Cristóbal de las Casas can choose between a variety of omelettes. The “Liberty” has the most ingredients, the “Democracy” looks the best, but the “Justice” costs the most – possibly because it comes with cheese.
The restaurant is one of many celebrating, or cashing in on, the Zapatistas, the indigenous peasant rights movement from dirt-poor Chiapas state, which took up arms and occupied San Cristóbal on 1 January 1994, the day Mexico signed up to Nafta, the North American free trade agreement.