Illustrations  xi

Acknowledgments  xii

Abbreviations and Acronyms  xv

Cast of Main Characters  xix

Introduction  1

Part I: Rafael  

1. Birth and Family  13

2. School Years  20

3. High School College  23

4. UNAM  29

5. The Gradate  42

Part II: Marcos the Guerilla  

6. Chiapas  57

7. Guerilla Inception  65

8. The Wilderness Years   76

9. First Contact  82

10. Promotion and Expansion  88

11. A Jungle Wedding  107

12. An Election, Exponential Growth, and a Rift   112

13. Bust and Boom  124

14. Fallout  129

15. From the Peoples Guerilla to a Guerilla People  133

16. Indigenous Indignation  143

17. An Internal Coup and the Road to War  163

Part III: Marcos the Star Spokesman  

18. The Uprising  195

19. Waging a Masterful Media War   213

20. A Cease-Fire  221

21. The Cult of Marcos   226

22. Peace Talks  247

23. Courting Civil Society  253

24. The Elections and Their Aftermath  262

25. Marcos Unmasked and Rafael Revealed  278

26. Nationalizing and Internationalizing the Struggle  301

27. A March and a Massacre  315

28. Speedy Gonzalez Breaks the Silence  321

29. A Consulta, a Story, and a Strike  330

30. A Change of Government   336

31. The Zapatour  342

32. Marcos Today  353

Conclusion  361

Notes  369

Glossary  467

Works Cited  469

Index  487

“[An] exhaustive study. . . . Drawing on nearly every published work ever written by Marcos, Henck argues that while the guerrilla leader is most well-known for his media savvy, more important is his “great flexibility of mind,” which allowed him to put aside the theoretical priorities he had brought with him as a radical intellectual and to become a conduit for the demands of the indigenous population of Chiapas.”—NACLA Report on the Americas

“Henck’s approach to Marcos’ philosophy is a good one for newbie readers in this subject: citing concrete statements to reveal the substance of their flexible approach to politics, one still within the tradition of Che Guevara, but more attuned to the realities of a post-Soviet world.”—Cassiodorus, DailyKos.com

“[A] useful reference . . . . ”—Dan La Botz, Against the Current

“Henck’s Subcommander Marcos is less a biography than an enlightening case study of how one of the possibly most influential political movements of the 21st century was born, faultered and was then rejuvenated by those it sought to lead. . . . This book has arrived just in time, when the anti-globalization movement appears to have run out of steam precisely because it has failed to provide a visionary model of the future in the present.”—Robert Ovetz, The Canadian National Newspaper

“Nick Henck offers the reader a scrupulously fair sifting of the sources. . . . He depicts a personality at times prickly and pleased to be at the center of attention; though also willing to endure personal sacrifice, having earned legitimacy through ten years of discomfort and obscurity in the jungle before the movement went public.”—Richard Stahler-Sholk, A Contracorriente

“[F]ascinating. . . . Subcommander Marcos convincingly demonstrates that Zapatismo has created a new model in which taking up arms may no longer be incompatible with simultaneously taking up the cause of autonomy and democracy.”—Robert Ovetz, Z Magazine

“[T]his formidable study is one of those rare books that one might deem necessary as well as likely to remain of lasting importance. Engagingly penned, supplied with useful maps, photographs, a frontspiece explaining the acronyms used, as well as a ‘cast of main characters,’ this book sheds significant light not merely on Marcos but on recent Mexican and Latin American history, and contributes to studies on globalization, social justice, indigenous studies, and the history of Marxism in the region. It is a must read for students of Mexican history and modern Latin American history.”—Mark Anderson, Labour/Le Travail

“This biography of Rafael Sebastián Guillén Vicente, better known as Subcomandante Marcos, is the product of thorough investigation of all kinds of records of the Zapatista movement in southeastern Mexico, and as such should be welcomed by everyone interested in this rebellion.”—Dick Papousek, European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies

“Definitive . . . Henck has done [Subcommander Marcos] justice with a biography that is as compelling as it is comprehensive. . . . This book will undoubtedly prove to be essential to scholars, students, and Zapatista aficionados across a range of disciplines.”—Adam Spires, Latin Americanist

“Nick Henck’s biography of the enigmatic Subcomandante Marcos is a major undertaking and the first of its kind in English. . . . Subcomandante Marcos, the most charismatic revolutionary since Che Guevara, is in many ways the perfect subject for a biography. . . . [T]his is an exhaustive, well-written biography. . . .”—Stephen E. Lewis, Latin American Perspectives

“Subcommander Marcos is tenacious in its research, fair in its point of view, and eloquent in its portrait of Marcos and the indigenous Zaptatistas of Chiapas.”—Thomas Benjamin, The Americas

“In this first English-language biography of Marcos, Nick Henck makes a noteworthy contribution to the extensive literature on the Zapatistas. His research and firsthand knowledge about the movement position Henck well for the task. . . . Henck’s story is easy to follow and well suited for a student audience.”—Glen David Kuecker, HAHR

“Henck gives us a collage in which Subcomandante Marcos ultimately emerges as something of a pastiche. . . . Subcommander Marcos will appeal to those wanting an accessible English-language
account of the various roles played by Subcomandante Marcos. . . .”—Deborah Eade, Development in Practice

“Marcos comes alive in Henck’s book.”—Jeffrey H. Cohen, Ethnohistory

“Henck’s meticulous research, clear and engaging prose, even tone, and considered evaluations of the achievements and setbacks of zapatismo make the book an important contribution to the scholarship of zapatismo and a valuable resource for teaching.”—Julia E. Murphy, Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies

“Henck strongly argues however that the EZLN had a large impact on the recent democratisation of Mexico. . . . [Subcommander Marcos] is very recommendable for readers wanting to understand more about the EZLN and the dominant role its leader played and continues to play within it.”—Matthias Schmidt-Eule, Iberoamericana

“[An] exhaustive study. . . . Drawing on nearly every published work ever written by Marcos, Henck argues that while the guerrilla leader is most well-known for his media savvy, more important is his “great flexibility of mind,” which allowed him to put aside the theoretical priorities he had brought with him as a radical intellectual and to become a conduit for the demands of the indigenous population of Chiapas.”—NACLA Report on the Americas

“Henck’s approach to Marcos’ philosophy is a good one for newbie readers in this subject: citing concrete statements to reveal the substance of their flexible approach to politics, one still within the tradition of Che Guevara, but more attuned to the realities of a post-Soviet world.”—Cassiodorus, DailyKos.com

“[A] useful reference . . . . ”—Dan La Botz, Against the Current

“Henck’s Subcommander Marcos is less a biography than an enlightening case study of how one of the possibly most influential political movements of the 21st century was born, faultered and was then rejuvenated by those it sought to lead. . . . This book has arrived just in time, when the anti-globalization movement appears to have run out of steam precisely because it has failed to provide a visionary model of the future in the present.”—Robert Ovetz, The Canadian National Newspaper

“Nick Henck offers the reader a scrupulously fair sifting of the sources. . . . He depicts a personality at times prickly and pleased to be at the center of attention; though also willing to endure personal sacrifice, having earned legitimacy through ten years of discomfort and obscurity in the jungle before the movement went public.”—Richard Stahler-Sholk, A Contracorriente

“[F]ascinating. . . . Subcommander Marcos convincingly demonstrates that Zapatismo has created a new model in which taking up arms may no longer be incompatible with simultaneously taking up the cause of autonomy and democracy.”—Robert Ovetz, Z Magazine

“[T]his formidable study is one of those rare books that one might deem necessary as well as likely to remain of lasting importance. Engagingly penned, supplied with useful maps, photographs, a frontspiece explaining the acronyms used, as well as a ‘cast of main characters,’ this book sheds significant light not merely on Marcos but on recent Mexican and Latin American history, and contributes to studies on globalization, social justice, indigenous studies, and the history of Marxism in the region. It is a must read for students of Mexican history and modern Latin American history.”—Mark Anderson, Labour/Le Travail

“This biography of Rafael Sebastián Guillén Vicente, better known as Subcomandante Marcos, is the product of thorough investigation of all kinds of records of the Zapatista movement in southeastern Mexico, and as such should be welcomed by everyone interested in this rebellion.”—Dick Papousek, European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies

“Definitive . . . Henck has done [Subcommander Marcos] justice with a biography that is as compelling as it is comprehensive. . . . This book will undoubtedly prove to be essential to scholars, students, and Zapatista aficionados across a range of disciplines.”—Adam Spires, Latin Americanist

“Nick Henck’s biography of the enigmatic Subcomandante Marcos is a major undertaking and the first of its kind in English. . . . Subcomandante Marcos, the most charismatic revolutionary since Che Guevara, is in many ways the perfect subject for a biography. . . . [T]his is an exhaustive, well-written biography. . . .”—Stephen E. Lewis, Latin American Perspectives

“Subcommander Marcos is tenacious in its research, fair in its point of view, and eloquent in its portrait of Marcos and the indigenous Zaptatistas of Chiapas.”—Thomas Benjamin, The Americas

“In this first English-language biography of Marcos, Nick Henck makes a noteworthy contribution to the extensive literature on the Zapatistas. His research and firsthand knowledge about the movement position Henck well for the task. . . . Henck’s story is easy to follow and well suited for a student audience.”—Glen David Kuecker, HAHR

“Henck gives us a collage in which Subcomandante Marcos ultimately emerges as something of a pastiche. . . . Subcommander Marcos will appeal to those wanting an accessible English-language
account of the various roles played by Subcomandante Marcos. . . .”—Deborah Eade, Development in Practice

“Marcos comes alive in Henck’s book.”—Jeffrey H. Cohen, Ethnohistory

“Henck’s meticulous research, clear and engaging prose, even tone, and considered evaluations of the achievements and setbacks of zapatismo make the book an important contribution to the scholarship of zapatismo and a valuable resource for teaching.”—Julia E. Murphy, Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies

“Henck strongly argues however that the EZLN had a large impact on the recent democratisation of Mexico. . . . [Subcommander Marcos] is very recommendable for readers wanting to understand more about the EZLN and the dominant role its leader played and continues to play within it.”—Matthias Schmidt-Eule, Iberoamericana

“Nick Henck’s meticulous research and careful rendering of the myths and facts behind Subcommander Marcos’s life and rise to prominence as a guerrilla leader and media darling is a major accomplishment in biography. This intriguing and insightful portrait of the man and his times will interest anyone seeking a greater understanding of recent Mexican politics.”—Roderic Ai Camp, author of Politics in Mexico: The Democratic Consolidation

“In this encyclopedic biography, Nick Henck draws on almost everything ever published on Subcommander Marcos. The result is an analysis that first highlights Marcos’s intellectual and political formation prior to his entering the Lacandon jungle in late 1983, and then illuminates the Subcommander’s unique cultural and political flexibility, which ultimately served to let the EZLN be directed by the priorities of the indigenous communities of Chiapas. As Henck points out, this flexibility is what distinguished Marcos from other twentieth-century guerrilla leaders; it was pivotal in permitting the EZLN to play a central role in the democratization of Mexico after seventy years of one-party rule. This is a valuable reference book for all those interested in a detailed account of the rise of Subcommander Marcos and the EZLN in Chiapas.”—Lynn Stephen, author of Transborder Lives: Indigenous Oaxacans in Mexico, California, and Oregon

Permission to Photocopy (coursepacks)

If you are requesting permission to photocopy material for classroom use, please contact the Copyright Clearance Center at copyright.com;

If the Copyright Clearance Center cannot grant permission, you may request permission from our Copyrights & Permissions Manager (use Contact Information listed below).

Permission to Reprint

If you are requesting permission to reprint DUP material (journal or book selection) in another book or in any other format, contact our Copyrights & Permissions Manager (use Contact Information listed below).

Images/Art

Many images/art used in material copyrighted by Duke University Press are controlled, not by the Press, but by the owner of the image. Please check the credit line adjacent to the illustration, as well as the front and back matter of the book for a list of credits. You must obtain permission directly from the owner of the image. Occasionally, Duke University Press controls the rights to maps or other drawings. Please direct permission requests for these images to permissions@dukeupress.edu.
For book covers to accompany reviews, please contact the publicity department.

Subsidiary Rights/Foreign Translations

If you're interested in a Duke University Press book for subsidiary rights/translations, please contact permissions@dukeupress.edu. Include the book title/author, rights sought, and estimated print run.

Disability Requests

Instructions for requesting an electronic text on behalf of a student with disabilities are available here.

Rights & Permissions Contact Information

Email: permissions@dukeupress.edu

Email contact for coursepacks: asstpermissions@dukeupress.edu

Fax: 919-688-4574

Mail:
Duke University Press
Rights and Permissions
905 W. Main Street
Suite 18B
Durham, NC 27701

For all requests please include:

1. Author's name. If book has an editor that is different from the article author, include editor's name also.

2. Title of the journal article or book chapter and title of journal or title of book

3. Page numbers (if excerpting, provide specifics)

For coursepacks, please also note: The number of copies requested, the school and professor requesting

For reprints and subsidiary rights, please also note: Your volume title, publication date, publisher, print run, page count, rights sought