The Zapatista Army of National Liberation, or EZLN, rose up against the Mexican state on January 1, 1994. Before long the EZLN was caught up in fierce battles with the federal army and paramilitary groups that eventually led to the liberation and creation of autonomous zones, municipalities and communities in Chiapas. Across the region, different ethnic groups organize themselves in caracoles, where decisions are taken at the community level by local assemblies.