Emiliano Zapata was a principal leader in the Mexican Revolution who was assasinated on April 10, 1919. But to simply say this misses many points about his life that continue to influence the life of Mexicans even today. Zapata was a man of his generation and beyond. He was a man who carried out his duty under tremendous pressure to unify and represent the people of the Mexican South. He spoke 6 indigenous languages and was appointed to head of his local consejo because of his great humility and responsability. He was not fighting a war of destruction against the powerful, but fighting to fundamentally change Mexico to give all of its inhabitants control over its destiny. He thought of Mexico not as it would be in 10 years but how it might be in 100 years. He also understood that this Mexico would be created not simply by the power of the rifle, but by the power of civil society as evidenced in EL PLAN DE AYALA.
Emiliano Zapata