People Profile: Spokesman Subcomandante Marcos
Subcomandante Marcos
Spokesman
By Deborah Bonello
Of all Mexicans that one might have known prior to arriving here, SubCommandante Marcos – or Delegado Cero as he now prefers to be known – is definitely one of them. His image abroad as the mask-wearing, pipe-smoking mestizo who fights for the indigenous cause rivals that of another Latin American icon – Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara.
That it is hard to tie down the facts about Marcos adds to his enigma. It’s generally accepted that he is (or was) Rafael Sebastián Guillén Vicente, born in Mexico to Spanish immigrants and educated in a Jesuit school in Tampico, Tamaulipas. Marcos denies this.
Guillén, a middle class academic, who graduated from the Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM) went on to earn a masters’ degree in philosophy at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) where he also worked briefly as a professor before leaving Mexico City and embracing the indigenous cause.
The seductive persona of the jungle-dwelling revolutionary clad in combats and battered brown cap lends itself to the iconic, romantic idolatry often favoured by Latin America. His abilities as both speechmaker and raconteur are legendary. This verbosity has resulted in stacks of both children’s books and novels.
In a recent interview with British newspaper the Guardian, Marcos confessed to occasionally letting the fame go to his head. But those who know him say his intelligence and strong sense of humor apparently keep his ego in check.
Some say his mask is a strategy for anonymity even though it has achieved something of the opposite. “Todos Somos Marcos” – the Zapatista slogan – signals the sense of solidarity generated within the movement: behind their masks the Zapatistas are no one and everyone.
But the powerful personal image may exaggerate Marcos’ relevance, which is a matter of opinion and debate. His importance is rumoured to be waning.
This profile appeared in the November 2007 issue of InsideMexico, available here. The photograph is the journalist’s own.









Pretty Good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say I really enjoyed reading your posts. Anyway I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon.
Only this min learned this blog People Profile: Spokesman Subcomandante Marcos | MexicoReporter.com by using Google, what a enjoyment… Oh yeah did you hear Syria incredible tv news… Kudos Flash Web Sites
Incredible content People Profile: Spokesman Subcomandante Marcos | MexicoReporter.com yet hey I developing a issue we are not able to are capable of signed up your feed, I’m using google website reader F.Y.I…. Thx … Online Website Builder
Top info do you have more information on this People Profile: Spokesman Subcomandante Marcos | MexicoReporter.com cool Thx … Easy Web Site Builder
Thanks for the ideas you write about through your blog. In addition, numerous young women who seem to become pregnant never even try and get health care insurance because they are full of fearfulness they would not qualify. Although a lot of states today require insurers present coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions. Rates on these kind of guaranteed options are usually larger, but when thinking about the high cost of medical care bills it may be the safer route to take to protect the financial future.
Wow… People Profile: Spokesman Subcomandante Marcos | MexicoReporter.com I am really loving the design-idea for the site. It is very simple, yet effective. More often than not it is tough to get that ideal concerning superb usability as well as visual appearance. I may state you’ve done a awesome site. In addition, this weblog starts extremely fast personally in Internet explorer. Outstanding Blog site People Profile: Spokesman Subcomandante Marcos | MexicoReporter.com Before I forget what about Murdoch dramatic information Kudos Flash Web Sites
I just wanted to type a quick word to say thanks to you for some of the superb pointers you are giving on this site. My incredibly long internet search has at the end been paid with reasonable points to exchange with my colleagues. I ‘d claim that we website visitors actually are unquestionably fortunate to live in a superb place with very many perfect professionals with beneficial opinions. I feel very grateful to have encountered your entire website and look forward to some more thrilling times reading here. Thank you once more for all the details.
Visitor recommendations…
[...]one of our visitors recently recommended the following website[...]……
Chase, I have the SOS numbers separately, but I pulled them for the 23 conference tiebreakers decided by H2H before this season.
2.) Can I just say what a relief to find someone who actually knows what theyre talking about on the internet. You definitely know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of the story. I cant believe youre not more popular because you definitely have the gift.
I dugg some of you post as I thought they were extremely helpful handy
Good write-up, I am normal visitor of one’s site, maintain up the nice operate, and It’s going to be a regular visitor for a lengthy time.
Simply wanna remark on few general things, The website design and style is perfect, the content material is very superb : D.
Very interesting details you have remarked, regards for posting . “The thing always happens that you really believe in and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Very interesting topic , regards for putting up. “Nobody outside of a baby carriage or a judge’s chamber believes in an unprejudiced point of view.” by Lillian Hellman.
Keep up the excellent piece of work, I read few posts on this website and I conceive that your site is very interesting and contains circles of good info.
Really great information can be found on web site. “Every artist was first an amateur.” by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
You have brought up a very excellent details , regards for the post.
I am not real superb with English but I get hold this real easygoing to interpret.
Very interesting topic , thanks for putting up. “To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.” by G. K. Chesterton.
I’m impressed, I must say. Really seldom do I discover a blog thats both educational and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. Your thoughts is important; the matter is something that not many people are talking intelligently about. I’m very happy that I stumbled across this in my search for something relating to it.
Very nice design and fantastic articles , practically nothing else we want : D.
I truly appreciate this post. I’ve been looking all over for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thx again!
It’s in reality a great and helpful piece of information. I am glad that you simply shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.
StaffsToon says:August 8, 2010 at 8:50 pm
I just wake up from sleep and I’m already reading your blog. This means something! Very useful blog. Thanks!
Outstanding post, I believe website owners should acquire a lot from this blog its very user pleasant. So much wonderful information on here
.
I genuinely enjoy studying on this website , it holds superb articles . “Beauty in things exist in the mind which contemplates them.” by David Hume.
Exactly what I was searching for, appreciate it for posting . “Pardon one offense, and you encourage the commission of many.” by Publilius Syrus.
I have been searching for this info for quite a while. About three hours of continuous searching, fortunately I saw that in your article. I wonder why Google don’t rank this type of informative sites in the top of the list. Normally the top sites are full of rubbish. Maybe it’s time to change to other search engine.
Just wanna input on few general things, The website layout is perfect, the articles is very excellent. “Drop the question what tomorrow may bring, and count as profit every day that fate allows you.” by Horace.
Simply wanna tell that this is very helpful , Thanks for taking your time to write this.
I enjoy your writing style really loving this web site. “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” by Albert Einstein.
I was looking through some of your content on this website and I think this web site is really instructive! Keep putting up.