On The Ropes in San Cristobal

Somewhat punch drunk from the end of the teaching semester, I arrived with my good friend Lou Whitaker into the familar clutches of San Cristobal de Las Casas. Utterly bereft of energy and enthusiasm for progress, the majority of the weekend was spent completely sedentary, occasionally breaking into a slow shuffle; respect due to Lou, who no doubt in a state of recent escape from the UK was keener for a somewhat more dynamic approach. Apart from a booze free weekend thanks to the proximity of the Mexican elections and partaking of food and coffee at various establishments, we paid a visit to one of my favoured spots in San Cris, the Kinoki Theatre. A small independent cinema combined with a tea house that makes for a very pleasant evening sitting in tiny screenings of up to about 15 people watching alternative films from the comfort of a sofa.

One such film that we partook in was a locally crafted piece of engaging propaganda about the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (or Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional, EZLN) and their ongoing struggle against the Mexican government since coming into the public eye in 1994 with their opposition to the then recently signed NAFTA free trade agreement with the USA. Whatever opinions might be held about the Zapatistas, it has certainly been a fantastic achievement for them to coordinate remote rural groups without the benefit of any modern methods of communication to provide opposition to the manuevers of the military during the most intenseperiods of stuggle. It is also refreshing to see an element of the population galvanised in reponse to political agenda in a time in Mexico that seems to be characteristic of political indifference, judging by the recent elections.

For better or worse, their local presence in recent history has been a valuable drawcard for the tourist industry, with Zapatista dolls available on every street corner and licence given any wannabe revolutionary to spout their idealogical leanings over their drinks in the numerous coffee houses and bars about town.

San Cristobal de Las Casas

6th July 2009