EZLN Uprising in Chiapas — Zapatista Revolution

On the first day of NAFTA, the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN) captured San Cristóbal de las Casas and five other Chiapas towns, declaring war on the Mexican government. Subcomandante Marcos articulated indigenous rights, anti-NAFTA critique, and democratic demands. A ceasefire was declared January 12. The uprising shocked the world and forced the government into unprecedented negotiations, leading to the 1996 San Andrés Accords.