Secession: The EZLN in Chiapas

Legend for text in color: Text Size Speakers Largest over 500,000 Large over 100,000 Medium over 10,000 Small under 10,000

Compare this map to the regions of the top two non-Spanish languages in Mexico, Mayan and Nahuatl

Mayan	Nahuatl

The Chiapas rebels, most widely known for their spokesperson, Subcommandante Marcos, is centered in the Mayan speaking regions of Mexico, and one of their demands is protection for the Mayan people and culture.

The main goal of the rebellion, however was anti-neo-liberalism, it was started the day NAFTA was signed.

There are perhaps 880,000 Mayan speakers and another 400,000 people of native descent per the 1990 census1 in the Mexican State of Chiapas. There are perhaps 6,000,000 total Mayan speakers.

Overall, according to the 1995 census, 88% of Mexicans spoke Spanish as a first language2 .