User:Emcrocker/sandbox

The ELZN use the Internet as tool, not as a sole operant, to strengthen their efforts and keep the attention focused on their struggle. While the Zapatistas have little physical affect outside of Chiapas, the domination of the "information space" has strengthened their image and allies from foreign activists and journalists. Because the members of EZLN are residents of Chiapas, living among the poor and isolated reaches of the jungle, original material for the organization started out as written communiques for media outlets, which were then uploaded to the Internet. Many forums and websites dedicated to the discussion of the Chiapas conflict are sponsored by advocacy groups centered on Latin America and indigenous protection, mostly situated in North America and Western Europe. Soon following the uprising, fax-writing campaigns and public caravans were popular methods of gaining media attention and organizing supporters. The use of the Internet as a way to disseminate information and the Zapatista ideology is believed to have prevented violence and promoted peaceful negotiations.