State Map of Chiapas

The state of Chiapas is the poorest in all of Mexico, and the indigenous people who live there are plagued by poor health conditions, environmental disaster, state corruption, violence, and torture.  Chiapas is home to over 700,000 ingena according to official Mexican statistics.  Chiapas is the main base of the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN).  The EZLN, under the leadership of Subcomandante Marcos, received international attention on January 1, 1994, as they staged a revolt against the Institutional Revolutionary Party, the PRI.  The Zapatista revolt will be outlined further on  The Zapatistas page of this site.  Since the rebellion in 1994, the Mexican government has increased their presence in Chiapas dramatically.  According to the Narco News report by Al Giordano, the Zapatistas are surrounded by 70,000 Mexican army troops, one-fourth of the nation's Armed forces, from 85 jungle bases (2000).  The Mexican government has attributed the need for the enormous military occupation in Chiapas to fighting the war on drugs.  Immediately following the rebellion, Mexican officials were trying desperately to link the insurgents to the drug trafficking network, but there was no evidence to prove it.  The Zapatistas, however, have strict laws in their autonomous communities, outlawing the use, sale, or production of drugs on their lands.  More about that to come...

To see a map of the military presence in Chiapas, click on the link below.  The military occupation is in green:

Military Occupation of Chiapas
 

 Military police descend from their base camp in San Andres Larrainzar like ghosts through the rain- photo taken from http://burn.ucsd.edu/~ssady/index.html