What Happened in San Cristóbal on January 1, 1994? The EZLN Uprising Explained

On January 1, 1994, the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN) occupied San Cristóbal de las Casas and several other towns in Chiapas as part of an armed uprising against the Mexican government.

The events made San Cristóbal one of the key geographic symbols of the modern Zapatista movement and remain an important part of the city's recent history.

Quick answer

Date: January 1, 1994
What happened: EZLN forces occupied San Cristóbal and other Chiapas towns
Context: the uprising coincided with the day NAFTA entered into force
Ceasefire: the Mexican government announced a unilateral ceasefire on January 12
San Cristóbal's next major role: peace talks were held in the city's Cathedral from February 21 to March 2, 1994

The EZLN

The EZLN is the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional, or Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

It emerged publicly through the January 1994 uprising. Its early declarations centered demands including land, work, housing, food, health, education, democracy, justice, liberty and peace.

The movement drew heavily from Indigenous communities in Chiapas and quickly became internationally known.

The occupation of San Cristóbal

In the early hours of January 1, EZLN forces entered and occupied San Cristóbal de las Casas. Other towns occupied during the uprising included Ocosingo, Las Margaritas and Altamirano, among others.

Sources differ on some details and casualty estimates from the wider conflict, so one disputed total should not be presented as definitive.

The important local fact is that San Cristóbal was one of the principal towns occupied on the first day of the uprising.

Why January 1, 1994 mattered

The uprising began on the same day the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA/TLCAN) entered into force between Mexico, the United States and Canada.

This timing gave the uprising immediate national and international visibility and connected it to broader debates over land, economic reform and Indigenous rights.

Ceasefire and peace talks

The Mexican government announced a unilateral ceasefire on January 12, 1994, after growing national and international pressure for an end to the fighting.

The conflict then moved toward negotiation.

From February 21 to March 2, 1994, representatives of the EZLN and the Mexican government met in the Cathedral of San Cristóbal de las Casas, with Bishop Samuel Ruiz acting as mediator.

This made the Cathedral not only a religious landmark but also a major site in the political history of modern Mexico.

For the city's broader historical timeline:

A Short History of San Cristóbal de las Casas

The San Andrés Accords

Negotiations continued after 1994. In 1996, the Mexican government and EZLN representatives signed the San Andrés agreements on Indigenous rights and culture.

Their implementation and political meaning have remained contested subjects in Mexican public life. This guide does not attempt to settle those debates; its purpose is to explain San Cristóbal's documented role in the chronology.

Why the 1994 uprising still matters historically

Historically, yes. The 1994 events explain why San Cristóbal appears so frequently in books, documentaries, academic research and political histories of the Zapatista movement.

But present-day travel conditions should not be inferred from a 1994 historical event. For current safety information, use current travel advisories instead:

Is San Cristóbal de las Casas Safe to Visit?

Terminology

You may see both Zapatista and EZLN in historical material.

“Zapatista” can refer broadly to the movement and its supporters, while EZLN refers specifically to the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional.

Sources

• Secretaría de Cultura / INEHRM — Comandanta Ramona and the January 1994 taking of San Cristóbal
• SIPAZ — 1994 chronology
• CONAI archive — chronology of the EZLN uprising
• Enlace Zapatista — historical archive and First Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle

Last verified: August 24, 2026.