SPECIAL SCREENING

El Fuego y La Palabra (The Fire and The Word)

It's been 20 years since the The Zapatista Army of National Liberation began its struggle for the indigenous people of Chiapas, Mexico, a fight author Carlos Fuentes called the world's first "post-communist revolution."

But on January 1, 1994, the Zapatistas captured the world's attention when they emerged from the Lacondón jungle and seized the city of San Cristóbal to protest the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which went into effect that day.

For three showings, the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center will present a video series, El Fuego y La Palabra, will examine the revolutionary ideas of the Zapatistas and the issues facing Chiapas.

El Fuego y La Palabra (The Fire and The Word) Commemorating 20 years of Zapatista history Video presentation and discussion 7pm Saturday, Jan 10; Wednesday, Jan 14; and Saturday Jan 17 Esperanza Peace & Justice Center 922 San Pedro 228-0201

In the past 10 years, the Zapatistas have continued to battle the Mexican government over land rights, social justice, and natural resources such as medicinal plants, water, timber, and oil. A proposal, Plan Puebla Panama, is being touted as the key to developing poor Mexican states such as Chiapas, but actually allows corporations to establish tax-free, union-free maquila zones, destroying the environment, seizing the natural resources, and displacing millions of indigenous people along the way. As a Zapatista member told the Current in Chiapas in December 2001, "We are in total resistance to the government." •