The Laughter of Resistance:
A Presentation for the Global Solidarity Movement with the Zapatista Communities:
Friends, family, and sisters and brothers of the Americanas Zapatistas:
We stand at a crossroads in history where the old ways of "commanding" are being dissolved into the new ways of "sharing." In this profound video, recorded on December 28, 2025, Subcomandante Insurgente Moisés of the EZLN brings us a message that is both a report from the front lines of autonomy and a manual for the future of global resistance. It is a message that begins, surprisingly, with a laugh.
1. The Rebel Heart: Why We Laugh
Subcomandante Moisés opens his talk by reminding us that for the Zapatista movement, rebellion is not just about the struggle; it is about the joy of it [00:21].
He speaks of "clown-like rebellion" as a way to clear the mind—to find the humanity that the system tries to strip away. This is our first lesson: if we are to resist a system that seeks to demoralize and divide us [03:16],
"We must do so,
with a spirit that cannot be broken!"
2. The Great Shift: From the Individual to "The Common"
The heart of this presentation is the transition to what the Zapatistas call "El Común" (The Common). Moisés explains that this is not just a political theory; it is a way of relating to the land and to each other [10:41].
He challenges the very concept of private property, asking a powerful question to those who claim to "own" a piece of land: "How many millions of years is your life?" [13:48].
Since our lives are but a blink compared to the Earth, how can we claim to own her? Instead, we belong to her. This realization has led the Zapatista communities to restructure their entire governance into three levels of horizontal authority:
- * GAL (Local Autonomous Government): The foundation in every community [50:54].
- * C-GAZ (Collectives of Zapatista Autonomous Governments): Where regions coordinate [51:51].
- * AC-GAZ (Assembly of Collectives of Zapatista Autonomous Governments): The zone-wide assembly where the "maximum government" resides [52:51].
3. "The People Truly Rule": The End of the Pyramid
For years, the world has heard the Zapatista slogan "Mandar Obedeciendo" (To Lead by Obeying). In this video, Moisés describes the practical evolution of this principle. They have dismantled the "pyramid" structure—even their own previous councils—to ensure that decision-making power resides at the base [49:15].
He shares honest, often humorous stories of the growing pains of this system: how Zapatistas and non-Zapatista "brothers and sisters" (formerly known as partidistas) are learning to work the land together [12:14].
He speaks of resolving conflicts in the moment, in the field, rather than waiting for a distant authority to intervene [18:37].
This is the "Common" in practice—a tool that even saves the lives of those displaced by organized crime or natural disasters [43:22], [45:12].
4. The Future: Organizing the Youth
Perhaps the most urgent part of the message is the call to organize the youth [59:18].
Moisés warns that "the future" is not a given; it is something that must be organized. Without a collective path, the future will be dictated by the same capitalist forces we fight today. By involving young people in El Común, the Zapatistas are ensuring that the seeds of autonomy will continue to grow for the next 120 years and beyond.
5. A Message for Global Solidarity
To the Americanas Zapatistas and all those in global solidarity: this video is a reminder that resistance is not a static state, but a constant practice of "sharing" (compartición) [08:24].
It is about learning from each other's mistakes and successes without competition.
Moisés leaves us with a profound metric for our work: "If the enemy applauds us, we are doing something wrong; if the enemy hates us, it means we are on the right path" [03:55].
Let us take this message to heart. Let us look to the Zapatistas not as a distant ideal, but as a living example of how to build a world where many worlds fit—a world where, finally, the people truly rule [59:57].
Watch the full message here:
PARTICIPACIÓN DEL SUBCOMANDANTE INSURGENTE MOISÉS, 28 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2025
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