TODAY WE SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
TO THE PEOPLE OF MEXICO:
MEXICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
We are a product of 500 years of struggle: first against slavery,
then during the War of Independence against Spain led by
insurgents, then to avoid being absorbed by North American
imperialism, then to promulgate our constitution and expel the
French empire from our soil, and later the dictatorship of Porfirio
Diaz denied us the just application of the Reform laws and the
people rebelled and leaders like Villa and Zapata emerged, poor men
just like us. We have been denied the most elemental preparation so
they can use us as cannon fodder and pillage the wealth of our
country. They don't care that we have nothing, absolutely nothing,
not even a roof over our heads, no land, no work, no health care,
no food nor education. Nor are we able to freely and democratically
elect our political representatives, nor is there independence from
foreigners, nor is there peace nor justice for ourselves and our
children.
But today, we say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. We are the inheritors of the
true builders of our nation. The dispossessed, we are millions and
we thereby call upon our brothers and sisters to join this struggle
as the only path, so that we will not die of hunger due to the
insatiable ambition of a 70 year dictatorship led by a clique of
traitors that represent the most conservative and sell-out groups.
They are the same ones that opposed Hidalgo and Morelos, the same
ones that betrayed Vicente Guerrero, the same ones that sold half
our country to the foreign invader, the same ones that imported a
European prince to rule our country, the same ones that formed the
"scientific" Porfirsta dictatorship, the same ones that opposed the
Petroleum Expropriation, the same ones that massacred the railroad
workers in 1958 and the students in 1968, the same ones the today
take everything from us, absolutely everything.
To prevent the continuation of the above and as our last hope,
after having tried to utilize all legal means based on our
Constitution, we go to our Constitution, to apply Article 39 which
says:
"National Sovereignty essentially and originally resides in the
people. All political power emanates from the people and its
purpose is to help the people. The people have, at all times, the
inalienable right to alter or modify their form of government."
Therefore, according to our constitution, we declare the following
to the Mexican federal army, the pillar of the Mexican dictatorship
that we suffer from, monopolized by a one-party system and led by
Carlos Salinas de Gortari, the maximum and illegitimate federal
executive that today holds power.
According to this Declaration of War, we ask that other powers of
the nation advocate to restore the legitimacy and the stability of
the nation by overthrowing the dictator.
We also ask that international organizations and the International
Red Cross watch over and regulate our battles, so that our efforts
are carried out while still protecting our civilian population. We
declare now and always that we are subject to the Geneva Accord,
forming the EZLN as our fighting arm of our liberation struggle.
We have the Mexican people on our side, we have the beloved
tri-colored flag highly respected by our insurgent fighters. We use
black and red in our uniform as our symbol of our working people on
strike. Our flag carries the following letters, "EZLN," Zapatista
Army of National Liberation, and we always carry our flag into
combat.
Beforehand, we refuse any effort to disgrace our just cause by
accusing us of being drug traffickers, drug guerrillas, thieves, or
other names that might by used by our enemies. Our struggle follows
the constitution which is held high by its call for justice and
equality.
Therefore, according to this declaration of war, we give our
military forces, the EZLN, the following orders:
First: Advance to the capital of the country, overcoming the
Mexican federal army, protecting in our advance the civilian
population and permitting the people in the liberated area the
right to freely and democratically elect their own administrative
authorities.
Second: Respect the lives of our prisoners and turn over all
wounded to the International Red Cross.
Third: Initiate summary judgements against all soldiers of the
Mexican federal army and the political police that have received
training or have been paid by foreigners, accused of being traitors
to our country, and against all those that have repressed and
treated badly the civil population and robbed or stolen from or
attempted crimes against the good of the people.
Fourth: Form new troops with all those Mexicans that show their
interest in joining our struggle, including those that, being enemy
soldiers, turn themselves in without having fought against us, and
promise to take orders from the General Command of the Zapatista
Army of National Liberation.
Fifth: We ask for the unconditional surrender of the enemy's
headquarters before we begin any combat to avoid any loss of lives.
Sixth: Suspend the robbery of our natural resources in the areas
controlled by the EZLN.
To the People of Mexico: We, the men and women, full and free, are
conscious that the war that we have declared is our last resort,
but also a just one. The dictators are applying an undeclared
genocidal war against our people for many years. Therefore we ask
for your participation, your decision to support this plan that
struggles for work, land, housing, food, health care, education,
independence, freedom, democracy, justice and peace. We declare
that we will not stop fighting until the basic demands of our
people have been met by forming a government of our country that is
free and democratic.
JOIN THE INSURGENT FORCES OF THE ZAPATISTA ARMY OF NATIONAL
LIBERATION.
General Command of the EZLN
1993