Today In Latin American History
Today in History: On January 1, 1994 the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), of the Zapatistas, declared war on the state of Mexico. More than 2,000 native Mayans in the state of Chiapas marched into San Cristobal de las Casas to seize control. The actions came in response to the enacting of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a treaty between the United States, Mexico, and Canada that loosened economic regulations between the nations. The Zapatistas felt that NAFTA would have a drastic negative impact on Mexico, most notably in the poor state of Chiapas. Clashes broke out between the Zapatistas and the various police forces ending in 145 being killed, most of whom were citizens.
