Comandanta Ramona was an influential feminist, activist, and revolutionary who was a member of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation which operates in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. She proved to be a driving force behind promoting equality for women and indigenous peoples. Ramona was born into a Tzotzil Maya community in Chiapas in 1959. Like much of her community, she was born into poverty and needed to trade to make money. She built a life out of selling crafts, and bartered with travelers. While doing this, she witnessed, and experienced, the crushing weight of poverty and systemic indifference from the Mexican government. She joined the Zapatista Army of National Liberation because she was tired of seeing her community suffer and felt that something must be done. She rose quickly within the ranks of the organization and became a voice for many women in her community. The Zapatista Army of National Liberation, once founded to fight for the rights of indigenous Maya peoples, but did not allow women a primary voice within the organization. Through her activism and campaigning, Ramona changed that. By 1994, over a third of the organization’s members were women. On January 1, 1994 Ramona and the Zapatista Army of National Liberation would gain worldwide attention when they took control of San Cristobel de las Casas. After the signing of the NAFTA trade deal, the rebels took control of the city and sieged a nearby military base. Ramona led the assault, and once the authorities surrounded the city, she acted as a peace delegate representing the Maya living in Chiapas. Through her work, and many in the organization, the San Andres accords were signed granting indigenous peoples in Chiapas recognition from the Mexican government. They received cultural distinction and respect, a greater sense of autonomy, and protected lands from over farming and government interference. Comandanta Ramona was an influential force for better treatment of women and indigenous people in Mexico. Her tireless work allowed for greater representation of women in the Zapatista organization, and ultimately a better life for all Maya in Chiapas. Ramona passed away in 2006 from cancer related complications, but she has left a long-lasting legacy in Mexico and all organizations fighting for indigenous rights.