Why did Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata enter Mexico City in 1914?

In December 1914, Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata entered Mexico City to solidify their alliance against the moderate faction led by Venustiano Carranza.

Following the fall of the dictator Victoriano Huerta, a rift emerged between the revolutionary forces. While Carranza rejected the decisions of the Convention of Aguascalientes—which had appointed a provisional president—Villa and Zapata aligned themselves as "Conventionists." By occupying the capital, the two leaders intended to demonstrate their control and commitment to their shared revolutionary goals, specifically promising to fight together until they could install a civilian president in the National Palace. During this meeting, Villa formally accepted Zapata’s Plan of Ayala, which prioritized agrarian reform and the return of land to the ejidos.12