1994 Chiapas uprising

The 1994 Chiapas uprising was a Native Maya movement in southern Mexico, where rebels, largely from the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), launched an armed uprising on January 1, coinciding with NAFTA's implementation. They demanded land rights, indigenous autonomy, and better living conditions, protesting economic policies seen as neglecting rural and indigenous communities. The government quickly suppressed the uprising with military force, but the event drew international attention to indigenous rights and inequality in Mexico. It also sparked ongoing political and social discussions about indigenous sovereignty and economic justice.