In 1994, from the Lacandon jungle, Zapatista Subcomandante Marcos replied to a ten-year-old girl in Mexico City who had sent him a drawing. In his response, Marcos conjured up a first fable introducing the beetle and knight-errant "Don Durito de la Lacandon." The ensuing output of Durito-related communiques and tales comprise a broad discourse of the Zapatista struggle, revealing their organizational history, their critique of traditional politics, and the reasons for their opposition to neoliberalism. These elements have helped make the Zapatistas an exemplary reference in the international movement against capitalist globalization. Conversations with Durito includes all the Durito stories issued to date, translated, annotated, and contextualized by the Accion Zapatista Editorial Collective, and illustrated by simpatico artists. Poetic, humorous, and imaginative, these fables provide an excellent introduction to the politics of globalization from the radical perspective of indigenous struggle. Contents i Preface ii Translation and Editing Notes iv Acknowledgements 1 Historical Overview STORIES FOR A SUFFOCATING NIGHT 41 The Story of Durito and Neoliberalism 44 Durito Neoliberalism Seen From La Lacandona 57 The Cave of Desire 64 Durito Names Marcos His Squire 71 Durito The Story of Neoliberalism and the Labor Movement 79 Durito's May Day Postcard 81 On Bullfighting, Detente and Rock 87 Durito Neoliberalism and the Party-State System 95 Durito Durito in Mexico City 99 Durito's Return 104 Durito Chaotic Theory of Economic Chaos 111 Durito, Chibo the Killer Tarantula and the Plebiscite 117 The Story of the Little Mouse and the Little Cat 120 Of Trees, Transgressors and Odontology 138 The Story of the Hot Foot and the Cold Foot 144 On Love 147 The Story of Dreams 152 The Story of the Bay Horse 160 Durito to Conquer Europe 164 To Lady Civil Society 169 The Riddle 171 Durito on Cartoonists 176 Durito Neoliberalism, History as a Tale . . . Badly Told 184 Durito on Liberty 186 Durito's Comment on Hunger 189 Big Sharks and Little Fishes 196 Presentation in Seven Voices Politics and Bolsas (Theirs and Ours) STORIES FOR A SLEEPLESS SOLITUDE 215 Love and the Calendar 220 The Story of the Magical Chocolate Bunnies 226 The Seashell and The Two People 233 Forever Never 236 The Hour of the Little Ones, Part The Return of . . . 249 The Hour of the Little Ones, Part Those From Below STORIES OF VIGILANCE BY CANDLELIGHT 255 The Hour of the Little Ones, Part The Undocumented Others 258 The Hour of the Little Ones, Part The Other . . . 261 The Hour of the Little Ones, Part The Student Others 266 The Story of the Air and the Night 276 Off the La Realidad 286 Durito.com 288 The Other Player 294 The Story of the Little Dented Car 298 The Hand That Dreams When It Writes 302 Chairs of Power and Butterflies of Rebellion 314 Apples and the Zapatistas 316 Bibliography