Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review“In this encyclopedic biography, Nick Henck draws on almost everything ever published on Subcommander Marcos. The result is an analysis that first highlights Marcos’s intellectual and political formation prior to his entering the Lacandon jungle in late 1983, and then illuminates the Subcommander’s unique cultural and political flexibility, which ultimately served to let the EZLN be directed by the priorities of the indigenous communities of Chiapas. As Henck points out, this flexibility is what distinguished Marcos from other twentieth-century guerrilla leaders; it was pivotal in permitting the EZLN to play a central role in the democratization of Mexico after seventy years of one-party rule. This is a valuable reference book for all those interested in a detailed account of the rise of Subcommander Marcos and the EZLN in Chiapas.”—
Lynn Stephen, author of
Transborder Lives: Indigenous Oaxacans in Mexico, California, and Oregon“Nick Henck’s meticulous research and careful rendering of the myths and facts behind Subcommander Marcos’s life and rise to prominence as a guerrilla leader and media darling is a major accomplishment in biography. This intriguing and insightful portrait of the man and his times will interest anyone seeking a greater understanding of recent Mexican politics.”—
Roderic Ai Camp, author of
Politics in Mexico: The Democratic Consolidation“This formidable study is one of those rare books that one might deem necessary as well as likely to remain of lasting importance. Engagingly penned, supplied with useful maps, photographs, a frontspiece explaining the acronyms used, as well as a ‘cast of main characters,’ this book sheds significant light not merely on Marcos but on recent Mexican and Latin American history, and contributes to studies on globalization, social justice, indigenous studies, and the history of Marxism in the region. It is a must read for students of Mexican history and modern Latin American history.” -- Mark Anderson * Labour/Le Travail *
“In this first English-language biography of Marcos, Nick Henck makes a noteworthy contribution to the extensive literature on the Zapatistas. His research and firsthand knowledge about the movement position Henck well for the task. . . . Henck’s story is easy to follow and well suited for a student audience.” -- Glen David Kuecker * Hispanic American Historical Review *
“Nick Henck’s biography of the enigmatic Subcomandante Marcos is a major undertaking and the first of its kind in English. . . . Subcomandante Marcos, the most charismatic revolutionary since Che Guevara, is in many ways the perfect subject for a biography. . . . [T]his is an exhaustive, well-written biography. . . .” -- Stephen E. Lewis * Latin American Perspectives *
Table of ContentsIllustrations xi
Acknowledgments xii
Abbreviations and Acronyms xv
Cast of Main Characters xix
Introduction 1
Part I: Rafael
1. Birth and Family 13
2. School Years 20
3. High School College 23
4. UNAM 29
5. The Gradate 42
Part II: Marcos the Guerilla
6. Chiapas 57
7. Guerilla Inception 65
8. The Wilderness Years 76
9. First Contact 82
10. Promotion and Expansion 88
11. A Jungle Wedding 107
12. An Election, Exponential Growth, and a Rift 112
13. Bust and Boom 124
14. Fallout 129
15. From the People’s Guerilla to a Guerilla People 133
16. Indigenous Indignation 143
17. An Internal Coup and the Road to War 163
Part III: Marcos the Star Spokesman
18. The Uprising 195
19. “Waging a Masterful Media War” 213
20. A Cease-Fire 221
21. The Cult of Marcos 226
22. Peace Talks 247
23. Courting Civil Society 253
24. The Elections and Their Aftermath 262
25. Marcos Unmasked and Rafael Revealed 278
26. Nationalizing and Internationalizing the Struggle 301
27. A March and a Massacre 315
28. Speedy Gonzalez Breaks the Silence 321
29. A Consulta, a Story, and a Strike 330
30. A Change of Government 336
31. The Zapatour 342
32. Marcos Today 353
Conclusion 361
Notes 369
Glossary 467
Works Cited 469
Index 487
