It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.
Meaning of the quote
It's better to stand up and fight for what you believe in, even if it means you might get hurt or die, instead of giving up and living a life where you're forced to obey others and surrender your freedom.
About Emiliano Zapata
Emiliano Zapata was a Mexican revolutionary who led the peasant revolt in Morelos during the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920. He was a key figure in the agrarian movement known as Zapatismo, which called for substantial land reforms and the redistribution of land to peasants. Zapata’s revolutionary actions and his promotion of the Plan de Ayala made him an iconic symbol in Mexico, both as a nationalist figure and as an inspiration for the neo-Zapatista movement.