Born: 1959 (Chiapas, Mexico)
Died: 2006
Biography:
Comandanta Ramona (1959 January 6, 2006) was an officer of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), a revolutionary indigenous autonomist organization based in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. She led the Zapatista Army into San Cristóbal de las Casas in 1994, and was the first Zapatista to appear publicly in Mexico City.
Ramona was born in 1959 in a Tzotzil Maya community in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Growing up in a marginalized community, she experienced poverty and struggled to make a living. Ramona used to sell handmade goods to support herself before she joined the EZLN.
In the 1990s, Ramona became a champion for women’s rights and played a key role in advocating for gender equality within the Zapatista movement. She actively sought the participation of women in decision-making processes and pushed for an end to domestic abuse. Ramona also emphasized the importance of access to healthcare for indigenous women.
On January 1, 1994, Ramona took control of the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas during the Zapatista uprising. As one of the seven women comandantas of the Zapatistas, she demonstrated the significant presence and contribution of women in the movement. Around one-third of the Zapatista army consisted of women.
Following the end of the rebellion, Ramona remained in the Lacandon Jungle alongside Subcomandante Marcos to exert political pressure on the Mexican government. In February 1994, she participated in peace talks with the government in San Cristóbal’s cathedral. Ramona’s commitment to indigenous rights brought her to Mexico City in 1996, where she helped establish the National Indigenous Congress, despite a government ban. Her presence in the city sparked a large-scale demonstration, with Zapatista sympathizers surrounding her to prevent her arrest. Ramona also addressed a crowd of 100,000 people, shedding light on the lack of healthcare access in San Andrés de Larrainzer, where indigenous people had to endure a 12-hour journey to seek medical treatment.
Unfortunately, Ramona’s health began to deteriorate, and by 1996, she was facing kidney failure. However, she was granted immunity to travel and receive a kidney transplant from her brother. On January 6, 2006, Ramona passed away due to kidney failure.
Comandanta Ramona is remembered for her iconic image, always wearing a traditional Indigenous costume and a mask. A doll replica of Ramona was created by vendors in her hometown as a tribute, featuring traditional clothing and a mask, with a gun in hand. She also appeared in the 1996 film The Sixth Sun: Mayan Uprising in Chiapas.
Ramona’s campaign for access to medical treatment left a lasting legacy. In her honor, a Zapatista health clinic in La Garrucha was named the Comandanta Ramona.