Zapatista delegation arrives in Spain on European tour

Madrid, July 7 (RHC)-- Squadron 421 of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) of Mexico was received in Madrid, where its members delivered the "seed entrusted" by their peoples in the fight against inequality.

On the 500th anniversary of the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards, the Zapatistas set out for Europe on May 3rd.  Over one hundred people welcomed the Zapatista representatives, wh arrived in European territory after crossing the Atlantic Ocean by boat as part of a European tour in which they intend to denounce "the inequality derived from the capitalist economic and social system."  

At this stop on their European tour, which will take them to Paris after visiting other Spanish cities, a group of children also presented them with various gifts of welcome, such as a cardboard boat that simulates the one that brought them to Europe.

Before arriving in Europe, the Zapatista representation renamed the continent "Tierra Insumisa," which was celebrated at the reception in Madrid by Monica Gortayre, of the Migration and Anti-racism Commission of the feminist movement 8M, in charge of presenting the event.

The Zapatistas intend to symbolize in this way "a conquest in reverse, of dialogue and understanding to revisit history and share struggles with Europe from below and to the left, the one that resists."

The hosts of the event said they were grateful "that they have crossed the seas and brought us the seed of hope, [because] we are eager to listen, exchange and learn, because our struggle is also for life, against the capitalist hydra, because we know that we are going slowly because we are going far." 

The EZLN, which is now a political movement, took up arms on January 1, 1994 when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Mexico, the United States and Canada came into force.