The people of Chiapas are some of the poorest people in Mexico, yet they have shown that they have a fierce drive to resist oppression and overcome the poverty that has been forced upon them. Chiapas is made up of fertile land and abundant resources that remain unaccesible to most Chiapanecos. Because of this they live in poverty and unsanitary conditions and are barely able to sustain themselves.

Some statistics on Chiapas (http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/mexico.html):

• 31% Illiteracy rate
• 1/3 of all households are without electricity
• 41.6% of households are without potable water
• 58.8% of households lack basic sanitary facilities
• 66.74% of people suffer from malnutrition

"We will take ourselves underground and we will wait for the moment to rise up, like corn" - Mayan saying

Since the Zapatista uprising life for many of the people in Chiapas has changed. Many villages that support the Zapatistas have been forced out of there homes by a government counter-insurgency group called Peace and Justice, made up of local people. The villagers have been unable to return for fear of their lives and have become refugees. The government will not help and, since the cease-fire, the EZLN is unable to respond to the violence. On December 22, 1997 Peace and Justice killed 45 villagers accused of being aligned with the Zapatistas. 22 of those killed were women and 14 were children.

All photographs copyright 1997 by Scott Sady