The Sixth Declaration, the irruption of the Other Campaign and the fear of the political class

Abstract

The Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, together with the six preparatory meetings and the national plenary assembly held by the EZLN in August and September to organize what it called the Other Campaign, immediately prompted a strong reaction in the press from journalists, columnists, intellectuals and spokespeople of the various factions of the Mexican political class. Statements about Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the PRD were magnified, while the proposals of the Other Campaign were overlooked. The new irruption of the EZLN was perceived as a threat by the political class as a whole, since it was presented as the beginning of a long-term mobilization process that many saw as opposed to the ongoing electoral campaign.