Land reform, the state, and the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas

This article connects the land reform process in eastern Chiapas to the Zapatista uprising. It argues that land reform was one of the main avenues of State formation during the twentieth century and had far-reaching social and political implications that are crucial to our understanding of the political project developed by the Zapatistas. More particularly, it examines how the historical experience (of land reform has fed into the Zapatista political imagery and practices of social organization, concerning the way the State is problematized and challenged, and also the way the capacity of indigenous communities to govern themselves is asserted.