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On New Year's day in 1994, rebels from Mexico's indigenous community seized several towns in the south of the country, taking the government by complete surprise.

Led by the charismatic pipe-smoking Subcomandante Marcos, the Zapatista National Liberation Army demanded rights and recognition for its people.

The uprising, which was put down by the Mexican army, was a shock to Mexico which had just signed a trade agreement with the United States.

Father Gonzalo Ituarte, a Roman Catholic priest who witnessed the uprising, describes the dramatic events.

Witness is a World Service radio programme of the stories of our times told by the people who were there.

Directed by Claire Tailyour

Interview filmed by Deborah Bonello