John Ross, a journalist and author who has lived in Mexico for over 10 years, spoke to about 50 people Tuesday in Willamette Hall about his latest release “The War Against Oblivion: Zapatista Chronicles.”
Ross emphasized the main theme of his book, which is to remember the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas against the Mexican government in 1983, appreciate their influence and the struggle they went through to gain many of the rights people now have over the government.
“This revolution has left its mark on all of Latin America,” he said. “Rebellion movements have been tragic, dramatic and comic, yet these memories have been forgotten.”
The author described different sections of his book that explain the rebellion.
The ” time of secret” incorporates the 10-year-span between 1983 and 1993 when a group of farmers began organizing in the jungles and teaching the youth, especially women, how to use guns and speak Spanish. They called their secret armythe Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN)CQ, which translates into the army of national liberation. This was the beginning of the Zapatista movement.
“It was preparing itself for a war against the government,” Ross said. “This was a time of liberation.”
The second section of Ross’s book “the time of talking guns” describes the 1994 uprising prior to the Mexican elections, when the Zapatistas made themselves visible to the country, by initiating massive protests and a war against the government. Ross said this portion also depicts the massacres that occurred in this period and how the war affected Chiapas citizens.
Ross conveyed the Zapatista’s distrust of the electoral system and government by quoting their chants to Mexican president Vicente Fox when he got elected: “If you fail us, we will take you out of power.”
Ross also spoke about the current “time of silence and blood.” For the last 18 months, the Zapatista haven’t been heard from, the author said. In this time, they haven’t conducted any protests or communicated with the government. Ross offered a few explanations for this, which included the possibility of the Zapatista “just waiting for something concrete to happen.”
Leonardo Garcia-Pabon, chair for the Latin American Studies program, said the information Ross presented might change many people’s viewpoints about Mexico and expose them to important issues that have been hidden.
“Some people are unaware of the history,” he said. “Many people see Mexico as a tourism place — this shows that there’s much more than that.”
Jeff Parker, a junior history major, said the presentation revealed information he thinks isn’t publicized enough in the media.
“I got a better feel of the politics involved with the Mexican government and the challenges that the Mexicans face,” he said.
Ross has recently been touring the west coast to present his book and to share the details of Zapatista history to students and community members.
“My attachment is to social movements and change,” he said. “And I need to bring this story to my own country.”