I knew that the story was going to be about revolution and fighting against oppression but I was curious about how Subcomandante Marcos would tell it. His story is structured more like a written story than Menchú’s was but still didn’t completely conform to tradition. But this made it a more interesting read. Besides this Marcos’ story has a lot of similarities with Menchú’s with them both fighting similar battles against similar opponents. Both are fighting for poor, indigenous peoples and their ancestral land against oppressive, violent and racist governments.

One thing that really surprised me but in hind sight probably shouldn’t have was how directly Marcos calls out the Americans for supporting and directly being apart of the conflict and issues in Mexico. There is no beating around the bush or insinuations, he just says it out right multiple times. I loved it and I bet a lot of Americans were not thrilled with this, particularly the ones in power. But it’s true and it is not just in Mexico where the US has contributed to the exploitation and abuses carried out. In Guatemala the US provided things guns and training for interrogation aka torture during the civil war.

Marcos’s choice to hide his face is an interesting strategy and I quite like it. He is not the face of the movement but the mouth piece. Often in movements an individual is made the face of the struggle and they come to embody the struggle. But with the Zapatistas it is about the rebellion, the collective not the individual. It is about collective rights, not individual ones because none of them are free unless they all are. The masked faces also keeps the spotlight on the movement as the main focus. With everyone’s faces covered the people under the masks could be anyone. They become one in their struggle. “We must come to understand that each battle won for human rights and democracy is a battle won for all of us, that beneath the mask of our own personal struggles, we are all Marcos.”

I didn’t realize what a big part part that women played in the Zapatista movement, especially in command positions. I love that Marcos put in a section describing and praising various female leaders in the movement.  They are not confined to gender roles and they are listened to and respected. The Zapatista’s cry is “all for everyone or nothing for no one” and to me this shows them practising as they preach. People fighting together equally.