While not Mayan himself, Marcos emerged as the group's military leader, and when the EZLN, acting independently of the FLN, began its rebellion on 1 January , he served as its spokesman.
Known for his trademark ski mask and pipe and for his charismatic personality, Marcos coordinated the EZLN's uprising, headed up the subsequent peace negotiations, and played a prominent role throughout the Zapatistas' struggle in the following decades. After the ceasefire the government declared on day 12 of the revolt, the Zapatistas transitioned from revolutionary guerrillas to an armed social movement, with Marcos's role transitioning from military strategist to public relations strategist.
In , he headed a delegation of Zapatista commanders to Mexico City to deliver their message on promoting indigenous rights before the Mexican Congress, attracting widespread public and media attention. In May , Marcos stated that the persona of Subcomandante Marcos had been "a hologram" and no longer existed. Most of his writings are anti-capitalist while advocating for indigenous people's rights, but he has also written poetry, children's stories, and folktales and co-authored a crime novel.
In , he abandoned his academic career in the capital and left for the mountains of Chiapas to convince the poor, indigenous Mayan population to organize and launch a proletarian revolution against the Mexican bourgeoisie and the federal government.
Debate exists as to whether Marcos visited Nicaragua in the years soon following the Sandinista Revolution that took place there in , and, if he did, how many times and in what capacity. He is rumored to have done so, although no official documents for example, immigration records have been discovered to attest to this. Marcos made his debut on 1 January , the first day of the Zapatista uprisings.
