A journey into the heart of Zapatista territory in the early months of the 1994 uprising.
Description
On January 1, 1994 thousands of poorly armed indigenous men and women marched into six towns in the Chiapas region of southern Mexico. The Mexican government responded by sending 25,000 soldiers into the region, and reports of human rights abuses quickly surfaced.
Chiapas: The Fight for Land and Liberty takes us into the heart of Zapatista territory in the early months of the uprising in a series of groundbreaking reports.
Found in the mountains is a well-organized, energetic group of Mayan Indian men and women ready to give their lives to defend their their land and their rights. Sub-Commandante Marcos, the enigmatic leader of the movement, and members of the clandestine committee that runs the rebel operation talk openly about the government's peace proposal. The living conditions of the poor, which gave rise to this popular movement, are exposed in the liberated zone of Guadeloupe. The town of Las Margaritas is full of refugees afraid to return to their homes for fear of government retaliation. The threat of violence is palpable all across the region. And at the army's headquarters, up above the beautiful city of San Cristobal, tanks stand ready as helicopters drop off personnel and supplies. In one small community the bodies of two men have been discovered in the forest. Locals claim that the army tortured the men before taking them away.
These stories give a personal account of the issues and the changes the Chiapas people are seeking for themselves and their children.
Awards:
Cindy Award: Blue Ribbon Silver Apple
Credits:
Director: Jon Alpert, Mary Ann Deleo Editor: John Custodio
; "Chiapas: The Fight for Land and Liberty")
