Mexican revolutionaries want to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Spanish conquest but there’s a catch. They plan to invade Spain in a wooden boat but peacefully and even party there as well. Not among the weirdest news I’ve heard. The revolutionaries are seven people part of the Zapatistas. Which is an indigenous Mexican libertarian socialist political and militant group.
The ‘invasion’ force will consist of three men, three women, and a transgender woman. They plan to leave Mexican soil on a wooden boat named “La Montana” or “The Mountain” in English. The group plan to reach Spain by August 13, which is the day the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan fell to the Spanish Conquistadors around 1521. Don’t worry they won’t be starting another war when they arrive.
One of the Zapatistas will make a proclamation as soon as they arrive saying that “I declare that from now on this place, currently referred to as ‘Europe’ by those who live here, be called: SLUMIL K´AJXEMK´OP, which means ‘Rebellious Land’ or ‘Land which does not give in nor give up. And that is how it will be known by its own people and by others for as long as there is at least someone here who does not surrender, sell out, or give up”.
The Zapatista leader, Subcomandante Gealono also made a statement saying that “If we manage to land and embrace with words those who are in the struggle there, who resist and rebel, then there will be a party with song and dance, and the beat of cumbia and the rhythm of hips will shake distant lands and skies”.
The biggest question is that can the wooden boat even survive a trip across the Atlantic and even weirder is that the Zapatista leader also said that he thinks that La Montana won’t be allowed to dock in Vigo, A Spanish City. He said that if that happens then the group of seven will take four wooden canoes and paddle back to Mexico. Wait, but how?
It’s unclear how much of what the leader has said is true as the journey itself is weird in nature. How is the group planning to return on just canoes? Underestimating the Ocean may lead to needless causalities. Though I think the Zapatistas are banking on the fact that they won’t be forbidden from making dock anyways.
According to the Zapatistas, this journey aims to send two messages to the Spanish. “You didn’t conquer us. We continue to resist and rebel” and “There’s no reason for you to ask our forgiveness for anything”.