San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas. Subcomandante Insurgente Galeano, of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), who “was born” in May 2014, “died” and has given way to Captain Insurgente Marcos.
“SupGaleano died. He died as he lived: unhappily. Of course, he took care, before passing away, to return the name to the one who is the flesh and blood inherited from the teacher Galeano. He recommended keeping him alive, that is, fighting. So Galeano will continue walking in these mountains,” wrote the now Capitán Insurgente Marcos.
In a document released this Sunday on their official website (https://enlacezapatista.ezln.org.mx), signed by the Captain himself, he adds: “Otherwise, it was something simple. He started humming something like ‘I know I’m mad crazy, crazy, crazy,’ and, just before he expired, he said, or rather asked: ‘Do dead people sneeze?’ And that’s it. Those were his last words. No sentence for history, nor for a tombstone, nor for an anecdote told in front of the stove. Only that absurd, anachronistic, extemporaneous question: ‘Do dead people sneeze?’”
He elaborated: “He then remained still, his tired breathing suspended, his eyes closed, his lips finally silenced, his hands clenched. We left. Almost as we left the champagne, already at the doorway, we heard a sneeze. SubMoy turned to look at me and I at him, with a barely hinted ‘cheers.’ Neither of them had sneezed. We turned to where the deceased’s body was and nothing. SubMoy just said ‘good question.’ I didn’t say a word, but I thought ‘surely he must walk with the moon rolling through Callao.'”
Of course, he stressed, “we saved the funeral. Although we lost the coffee and the tamales.”
Marcos became publicly known in January 1994 with the rank of Subcomandante Insurgente of the EZLN. In May 2014 he adopted the name Subcomandante Insurgente Galeano and from now on he is Captain Insurgente Marcos.
In a post script, Capitán Insurgente Marcos demanded the “unconditional release of Manuel Gómez Vázquez – taken hostage since 2020 by the state government of Chiapas – and José Díaz Gómez – hostage since last year -, indigenous Zapatista support bases imprisoned for that reason, for being Zapatistas. Then don’t ask who planted what you reap.”
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Translated by the Chiapas Support Committee, originally published in Spanish by La Jornada October 29, 2023. Read the original here. https://www.jornada.com.mx/noticia/2023/10/29/estados/el-subcomandante-galeano-201cmurio201d-da-paso-al-capitan-insurgente-marcos-5105
Chiapas Support Committee 
I had the honor of meeting El Sub in March 1994 when I traveledr to Chiapas representing the San Francisco Mission District’s comminity newpaper HORIZONTES alongside reporters from all over the globe. Our destination was the EZLN encampment to salute them and bring gasoline they needed to move about.
I made a commitment to educate the people of the US about the incredible Maya and how much they deserrved (and still do) our respect and support. I also invested in a campaign for Zapatos Para Los Zapatistas — Shoes for The Zapatistas which was organizedt to collect the necessary military boot which were badly needed for both the men and women valiant soldiers of The EZLN.
Would love to know where El Sub is residing and how he is. ¡Que Viva el Sub! ¡Que Viva el Mundo Maya! PARA LA PAZ CON DIGNIDAD. ¡SI SE PUEDE! ¡HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE!
? please advise