Reversion of Lands
The sentiment for strong land reform wouldn't last. With a trend towards industrialization in 1940 and the end of Cardenas’ presidency, ejidos became less supported by the Mexican government. Subsidized by the Mexican government, private corporations controlled underutilized ejidos and, in some cases, were even outright gifted ejidal lands. Despite the shift, ejidos and other types of commonly-held land make up 53% of all agricultural land in Mexico today.
Aricle 27 was reformed in 1992 to strengthen property rights for individuals. The revision decreed that ejidos be into plots that individuals could own as private property.
The law, with respect to the will of the ejidatarios and community members to adopt the conditions that best suit them in the use of their productive resources, will regulate the exercise of the rights of the community members over the land and of each ejidatario over their plot. Likewise, it will establish the procedures by which ejidatarios and community members may associate with each other, with the State or with third parties and grant the use of their lands; and, in the case of ejidatarios, transmit their land rights among the members of the population nucleus; It will also establish the requirements and procedures according to which the ejidal assembly will grant the ejidatario ownership over his plot. In the case of alienation of plots, the right of preference provided by law will be respected.
Above: Decreto por el que se reforma el artículo 27 de la Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos.
Above: Map of ejidos and communidads. "The Economic Costs and Benefits of Securing Community Forest Tenure."
Pockets of revolutionary nostalgia have appeared in recent times, too. In the 1990s, a militant gorup called the Zapatistas advocated for the revolutionary ideals present in Zapata’s writings as well as the original meaning of Article 27.
Above: A video of the modern Zapatista movement, with an interview from a priest and Subcomandante Marcos, the movement's spokesperson. In the current day, which fought against neo-liberalism and was against the amendment of Aricle 27. If video does not work, try this link: https://youtu.be/XHsrUPV2g9Q
Article 27 is somewhat dormant today. However, the promise of land refrom and a government willing to take an activist role in history remains.