Subcomandante Marcos and other Zapatistas have on numerous occasions
discussed the clash between “Northern” perspectives on revolution and the
world, and indigenous reality. Understanding the meaning, for the
insurgency, of the indigenous culture of the Zapatista support base has also
been a major topic in the writing of many supporters of, and visitors to, the
Zapatistas. But such an understanding of the history of the Zapatistas has
consequences for our understanding of the conflicts between guerrilla
organizations and indigenous peoples in Guatemala and Nicaragua during the
80s and 90s. This article seeks to contribute to our understanding of such
issues based on studies of the Zapatistas and similar encounters between
guerrilleros and indigenous peoples in Nicaragua and Guatemala. A better
understanding of the clash between “Northern” perspectives and indigenous
realities is a necessary prerequisite for understanding why some movements
fail and others succeed.
The relationship between armed groups and indigenous peoples had a
powerful effect on the outcomes of the civil wars in the region. The root causes
for the problems between indigenous peoples and guerrilla organizations are
sought in, among other things, militaristic guerrilla organisations, marked by
hierarchical, centralised and inflexible structures which did not facilitate the
processes of learning. Learning to understand indigenous peoples and their
worldviews would have been necessary to avoid the type of self-destructive
behaviour that is described in this article. The experiences from Nicaragua,
Guatemala and Mexico raises some important questions for future research on
social movements also elsewhere: Who do the movements represent? What
type of communication and learning goes on within the social movement? Are
certain groups excluded from fully participating
