Mexico - Rafael Sebastin Guillen Vicente (a.k.a. Subcommander Marcos) and the EZLN

(Starring in Che for a Day, or The Adventures of Subcomedian Marcos)

Although the image of the intellectual revolutionary is an appealing one in Latin America, there are few Latinos who are willing to lead a heroic group. Che Guevara did, and now it seems like the son of a furniture store owner in Tampico is going for it. Rafael Guillen, er, sorry, Marcos, is a former college professor (with a degree in sociology) from a well-off family in the state of Tamaulipas.

Alas, his revolution will never match Uncle Fidel's nor Chairman Mao's nor even that of his real idol, Sandino. Vicente was born on June 19, 1957, and educated at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He left in 1980 with a degree in sociology, earned a graduate degree, and became an associate professor at Xochimilco south of Mexico City.

In 1984 he left for Managua, where he taught and learned about revolution. He returned to Mexico in the late '80s to start up the Zapatista National Liberation Army. Its acronym-EZLN-sounds like the call letters of a soft pop radio station.

The pipe-smoking, balaclava-wearing "Marcos" appeared on January 1, 1994, when the rebels suddenly said they were mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. What attracted the world's press was the '60s aura of a group of peasants led by a charming, wisecracking mystery man who never appeared without his trademark disguise, shotgun bandoleer, pistol and pipe. He communicated with the press via video press release, satellite phone, fax machine and word processor. Adventurous types, including filmmaker Oliver Stone, beat a path to his "secret" jungle hideaway for a high-profile rebel audience, or what filmmaker Ms. Wild calls a "post-glasnost revolutionary Woodstock." He was long on rhetoric and short on results. His methodology was to "capture" a town with his ragtag army (some armed with sticks carved to look like rifles), then hightail back into the bush before the troops arrived. Most of the victims were innocent villagers killed by bombs or wild cross fire when the rebels didn't move fast enough. Some Mexican authorities claim the EZLN are led and supported by 20 Cubans, 40 U.S. citizens, 60 Europeans and 300 Guatemalans (who can provide escape routes into neighboring Guatemala after attacks) leading 2,500 Zapatista combatants. These figures are undoubtedly inflated to justify the 50,000 to 70,000 Mexican troops now ringing EZLN hideouts in Chiapas.

Marcos is now making the transition to political respectability, though the government, ironically, isn't thrilled with Marcos bucking for a Nobel Peace Prize. In an April 1999 nonbinding poll, voters overwhelmingly granted Mexico's 10 million native Indians special constitutional rights via EZLN negotiations with the government. It was certainly the most emulous-and successful-effort by the EZLN since their 1994 insurrection began. To save face, the army has apparently been staging Zapatista "desertions"-the public surrendering of handfuls of guerrillas along with their weapons.

A Bedtime Story

Subcommandante Marcos had a bit of a problem getting the English language version of his book published in the States-a fiery autobiography laced with Marxist rhetoric? Not really a children's story. The Story of Colors, about Mayan gods, was published by Cincos Puntos Press in El Paso. It seems the NEA refused to pay the $7,500 advance. The author photo shows Marcos with his trademark balaclava and bandolier. Nightmares, anyone?

EZLN Web Sites

Ejercito Zapatista de Liberacion Nacional

http://www.ezln.org

Zapatista Front of National Liberation

http://www.peak.org/~joshua/fzln/

http://www.peak.org/~justin/ezln/ezln.html