The Virgin of Cancuc and Subcomandante Marcos A parallel dynamic between the past and the present indigenous rebellions in Chiapas, Mexico In the public presentaon a parallel dynamic is discussed between the indigenous uprising of 1712 in the Highlands Chiapas (Mexico) where the ‘Republic of Cancuc’ was proclaimed, and the ongoing Zabasta re- bellion that began in 1994. In parcular, I focus on the roles played by Maria de la Candelaria and Subcoman- dante Marcos – Maria being the main figure of the first uprising and Marcos of the second. Maria acted as the spokeswoman of the insurrecng indigenous people. In this role it was claimed that the Virgin of Rosary (La Virgen de Rosaria) was talking through her, encouraging the naves to rebel against Spanish power and the Catholic Church that was acvely parcipang in exploing and subjugang them. Taking on the divine representaon of the church gave Maria authority to challenge the oppressing agents. Subcomandante Marcos was the spokesman and archetypal leader of the Zapasta from their inial pub- lic appearance in the late tweneth century. His image became so iconic that he was oſten mistaken as the unique, powerful leader of the Zapasta movement fighng for the rights of the naves. In May 2014 the Zapasta Army of Naonal Liberaon (EZLN) revealed that this figure was just a ‘hologram’ and his ‘farewell’ or symbolic ‘death’ was celebrated in a dramac ritual event performed by the Zapastas in La Realidad (24 May 2014) on a hearth in the Lacandon Forest. The death ritual given for Marcos refer to power relaons that extend to the spirit realm that are only alluded to here, and reveal some important elements of the strategy of communicaon and narrave con- strucon used by the Zapastas. Alessandro Zagato