ESSAY - BASTA! LAND & THE ZAPATISTA REBELLION IN CHIAPAS
For your final essay of the term, answer the following questions based on the book Basta! Land & the Zapatista Rebellion in Chiapas. Your paper should be 5 pages in length; please word process your paper using letter quality print, and number your responses. The paper, worth 100 points; no late papers will be accepted.
I. The Zapatista rebellion of Chiapas broke out January 1, 1994, the day that NAFTA went into effect. According to Collier, "The Zapatista uprising caught both Mexicans and Mexico watchers by s urprise. Chiapas seemed an unlikely place for a revolution to start". Evaluate this statement, linking the rebellion to Chiapas' history, agrarian reform, the region's linkages to the national government, and the implementation of NAFTA. (40 points)
II. In the past, scholars were skeptical about the political potential of peasant mobilization. Analyze this viewpoint in light of peasant organizations, movements, and alliance formation in th e state of Chiapas. (30 points)
III. Changing economic conditions have played a role in the uneven development of rural communities in Chiapas. Explain how this development has affected cultural, social, economic, and politic al relations in peasant communities. (30 points)