Metro Zapata

“We want neither the peace of slaves
nor the peace of the grave.”

—Emiliano Zapata

Metro Zapata may be one of the most important introductions for international visitors to the whole topic of the Mexican Revolution.

The station is named for the dynamic and still well-loved character of Emiliano Zapata from Morelos, just south of Mexico City. Martyred in the aftermath of the Revolution, his legacy lives on even today and exerts a strong influence in the politics and culture of Mexico, particularly in the country’s south. For a more solid introduction to both Zapata and the Mexican Revolucion, visit the Monument to the Mexican Revolution.

The station is, less directly, named for the Avenida Emiliano Zapata which intersects here with Universidad, Municipio Libre, Felix Cuevas, and Heriberto Frias streets. Metro Zapata operated as the terminal station for the 3 line from 1980 until August of 1983 when service was extended to the Universidad station. Service on Line 12 to the station began only in 2012.

Metro Zapata, on Line 3, is one station after Metro División del Norte, not coincidentally named for the Army of Pancho Villa during the same Mexican Revolution.

Since 2017, the station has hosted an exhibition of the country’s most outstanding cartoonists within the corridors linking the two Metro lines. Among the cartoonists are Gabriel Vargas, the creator of the series “La Familia Burrón,” José Guadalupe Posada, especially recognized for the Calavera Garbancera, known usually as “La Catrina.” A gallery of some photos from the exhibition can be seen here.