Emiliano Zapata Salazar

Emiliano Zapata

"Emiliano Zapata Salazar was born the August 8, 1879 and he died the April 9, 1919, when he was invited to a special meeting. He was a leading figure in the Mexican revolution and he formed and commanded an important revolutionary force: the Liberation Army of the South." He fought in the Mexican Revolution against Porfirio Diaz, who was the dictator in that time and the one that started it. In that time, he also joined forces with Pancho Villa to fight Porfirio Diaz. Zapata was recognized as a leading figure of the Nahua community. Zapata started joining with other armies to defeat Diaz, such as with Madero and Orozco’s armies.

He’s a hero because he fought in the Mexican Revolution and he also defended our country with courage. Other persons should consider him a hero because he saved many people, and without him, the country will be a dictatorship. He’s also a hero because he has statues and monuments in his honor, and that shows that he’s a recognized hero.

He has changed my life because now in Mexico, we have an agrarian reform which has benefited all Mexican citizens, but especially the peasants who used to live in very poor conditions. Now, the reform is still going on today, but Mexicans own the land and they are getting more rights and reforms that will benefit the less favored in Mexican society. We must remember that some of this came about because of Zapata and his dreams.