Vuelta de los Caracoles

By the end of our tour of the Caracoles in Chiapas, we have driven over a thousand miles and visited 4 of the 5 central governing communities in each group of Zapatista municipalities. They have all been quite different in character, and the last one we visited, Morelia, was perhaps the most active, vibrant and hopeful. The murals were vivid and evocative, in one case featuring the unusual image of the white, bandana-less woman next to an equally unusual depiction of a very tall and strong Comandante Ramona (a central, somewhat mystical native Mayan leader in the Zapatista movement who, in life, was physically quite small.) It was also the one where we met and talked with the most people. This has given us a somewhat better idea of how the Zapatistas are doing in creating autonomous communities where, as a collective, they work together, govern, teach and train themselves to be self-sufficient, and manage their local resources with care and respect to the people and the environment, without government involvement or corporate manipulation. These are not military camps. There were never any visible weapons or any sign of them (in contrast, the average military guy on the street in and around San Cristobal had pretty serious looking automatic rifles.) That said, we knew about (but didn't see) the separate military side to the Zapatistas, and it is primarily defensive, aiming to protect their communities against military and para-military taunts and attacks, which happen from time to time, from what we've heard and read. These collectives are peaceful, tranquil communities, with families and kids of all ages around, working, playing and studying. You see kids and teenagers hanging out like any kids and teenagers do. Basketball courts are always a central fixture in the camps, and usually active. When we met with the Juntas or other groups, there were always fairly equal numbers of men and women present, demonstrating the Zapatistas' strong emphasis on equality and egalitarianism. We're just scratching the surface, but it's really compelling to get a little first-hand glimpse of the Zapatista lifestyle. Lots to learn.