$Unique_ID{COW02411} $Pretitle{279} $Title{Mexico Politics and Government} $Subtitle{} $Author{Embassy of Mexico, Washington DC} $Affiliation{Embassy of Mexico, Washington DC} $Subject{mexico international mexico's secretariat foreign mexican states world economic political} $Date{1990} $Log{Table 1.*0241101.tab Table 2.*0241102.tab Table 3.*0241103.tab } Country: Mexico Book: Mexico an Overview Author: Embassy of Mexico, Washington DC Affiliation: Embassy of Mexico, Washington DC Date: 1990 Politics and Government For more than half a century political stability has been one of the main features of Mexican life. The building of modern Mexico is the result of the search for an original pattern of development that fulfills the needs and aspirations of the nation. The Revolution of 1910, the first major social movement of the twentieth century, put an end to the 34-year dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz and expressed the struggle of the Mexican people for political freedom and democracy, social justice, control of national resources and economic independence as well as the defense of sovereignty. The ideology of contemporary Mexico, commonly called Revolutionary Nationalism, has its origins in the Constitution of 1917, that incorporated the demands for which different factions and social groups fought during the civil war period. The challenge of establishing a stable new political order that could ensure a process of socio-economic transformation after a period of intense violence and disruption was successfully confronted with the creation of the National Revolutionary Party (PNR) in 1929. This party encompassed all factions, wings an personalities who participated in the Revolution with the purpose of unifying them in an institutional structure and of ensuring the achievement of its goals. The political context made possible important transformations of society such as agrarian reform, the nationalization of oil industry and the expansion of the educational system to benefit large sectors of the population. In 1938 the PNR became first the Party of Mexican Revolution (PRM) under the presidency of Lazaro Cardenas and later in 1946 the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) as is currently named. The PRI is the majority party in Mexico. Eight political parties representing all ideological trends participated in the general elections of July, 1988: Partido Accion Nacional (Pan - 1946), Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI - 1946), Partido Popular Socialista (PPS - 1948), Partido Democrata Mexicano (PDM - 1978), Partido Mexicano Socialista (PMS - 1978), Partido del Frente Cardenista de Reconstruccion Nacional (PFCRN - 1978), Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores (PRT - 1981) and Partido Autentico de la Revolucion Mexicana (PARM - 1984). Institutional continuity and socio-economic changes have been achieved under the Revolution's regime. Transition from one administration to another has occurred peacefully and in accordance with democratic rules of government. Mexico has been able to adapt the pursuit of the objectives of the 1910 social movement to the rapid and changing conditions of a modern, complex and pluralistic society. The United Mexican States constitute a representative, democratic and federal republic composed of sovereign states on internal matters but united in a federation. The Mexican people have the inalienable right to choose the form of government they desire. All power has its origins in the people and is established for their benefit. The people are the holders and depositories of the national sovereignty. The State fulfills its functions through the executive, legislative and judiciary powers, each with its own sphere of activity clearly defined in the Constitution. Consequently, the exercise of these powers may not be centered in a single person or corporation. a) Legislative Power The Legislative power is vested in the Congress, divided in two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives (Camara de Diputados) is comprised of 500 popular representatives, elected every three years for direct vote. There is one federal representative for each of the 300 electoral districts into which the national territory is divided, who are elected by simple majority. The remaining 200 seats are apportioned to the political parties following the principle of proportional representation which is applicable only to those parties that do not obtain 60 or more representatives by simple majority and get at least 1.5% of the total number of ballots which are relevant to this purpose. The Senate consists of 64 members elected by direct, secret and universal suffrage for a term of six years. Each state and the Federal District is represented by two Senators regardless of its population. Half of the Senators are renewed every three years. In the Congressional elections of July 6, 1988, the results for the Senate were as follows: [See Table 1.: Congressional elections of July 6, 1988, Senate] In regard to the House of Representatives, out of a total of 500 seats at stake, the electoral results were the following: [See Table 2.] b) Executive Power Federal executive power lies in the President of the United Mexican States or, as he is more commonly known, the President of the Republic. He is Head of State and Chief of Government and enjoys the powers granted to him by the Constitution. The President is elected by direct, secret and universal suffrage for a single term of six years, with no possibility of reelection under any circumstance. He discharges his functions through a Cabinet composed of 18 secretaries, the Mayor of the Federal District, the Attorney General's Office and various descentralized and autonomous agencies. The runner-up in the 1988 Presidential elections was Mr. Cuauntemoc Cardenas. Backed by the PFCRN and a coalition of parties, he garnered 5,956,988 or 31.12% of the votes. The other presidential candidates were, Mr. Manuel J. Clouthier of the PAN, who received 3,267,159 or 17.07% of the votes; Mr. Gumersindo Magana of the PDM who got 199,484 or 1.04% of the votes; and Mrs. Rosario Ibarra of the PRT who garnered 80,052 or 0.42% of the votes cast. There are currently the following members of the Cabinet: - Secretariat of Internal Affairs. - Secretariat of Foreign Affairs. - Secretariat of National Defense. - Secretariat of the Navy. - Secretariat of the Treasury and Public Credit. - Secretariat of Planning and Budget. - Secretariat of the General Comptrollership of the Federation. - Secretariat of Energy, Mining and Parastatal Industry. - Secretariat of Commerce and Industrial Development. - Secretariat of Agriculture and Water Resources. - Secretariat of Communications and Transportation. - Secretariat of Urban Development and Ecology. - Secretariat of Public Education. - Secretariat of Health. - Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare. - Secretariat of the Agrarian Reform. - Secretariat of Tourism. - Secretariat of Fisheries. In the presidential election of July 6, 1988, Carlos Salinas de Gortari of the PRI was elected by 9,641 votes, that is 50.36% of the total votes cast. He was sworn as the new President of Mexico for the term 1988-1994 the first day of December of 1988. c) Judiciary Power The Judiciary Branch dispenses justice in federal matters. Its highest expression is the Supreme Court of Justice, composed of lifetime members appointed by the President and ratified by the Senate. Federal Courts are competent to judge, among other questions, "amparo" appeals initiated as a result of the violation of individual rights, acts by federal authorities that violate or restrict the sovereignty of states or acts by state authorities that impinge upon federal jurisdiction. As a federation Mexico is composed of 31 states and a Federal District which is the seat of federal powers and therefore comes under the Chief Executive's authority. The states of Mexico are: Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Coahuila, Colima, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatan and Zacatecas. States are sovereign in local matters and they have their own representative government and three separate powers: executive, legislative and judiciary. States are divided into municipalities. The Governor of each state is its Chief Executive. Each has a House of Representatives and a Supreme Court of Justice. The Governor and representatives are elected by popular vote and members of the Supreme Court are designated according to the terms of each state's Constitution. Governors hold office for six years and may not be reelected. The municipality is the basis of the country's political division. Each municipality is governed by a local council elected by its citizens . There are 2,375 municipalities in Mexico today. [See Table 3.: Chronology of the Constitutional Presidents of Mexico 1911-1988.] GEOGRAPHY AND POPULATION: MAIN FEATURES Mexico (officially, the United Mexican States) lies between the Northern and Central parts of the American Continent and covers a total area of 780,716.59 sq. miles: Mainland 759,529.36 sq. m. Islands 2,070.65 sq. m. Inland Waters 19,116.58 sq. m. It borders to the North with the United States of America along 1,935.66 m. and on the Southeast with Guatemala (597,79 m.) and Belize (160.94 m.). Mexico's coasts stretch 6,153.72 m.: 1,712.58 m. on the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean sea, and 4,441.15 m. on the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Baja California. Mexico's territory, physically very diverse, is divided into coastal plains and a vast highland zone of terraced or gently rolling land, bounded by the Eastern Sierra Madre, the Western Sierra Madre, and the Neovolcanic mountain range. The highland zone, or Mexican High Plateau, covering almost 40 percent of the territory, is in turn divided into two distinctive regions: the Northern Plateau and the Southern Plateau, commonly known as the Central Meseta, which contains Mexico's capital and is traversed by numerous valleys with an average altitude of 6,562 ft. above sea level. It has both semiarid zones unsuitable for farming and rich areas where a large variety of crops are grown. The Northern Plateau, averaging 4,265.30 ft. above sea level, is characterized by a succession of winding plains generally running between long, narrow, independent mountain ranges. This area is not only rich in minerals, including iron and coal, which are intensively mined, but it also produces a variety of crops and livestock. It contains the country's largest semiarid zone as well. The coastal plains, on the east and the west, are crossed by numerous rivers; abundant rains favor farming and livestock raising. The eastern coastal plain is also rich in petroleum, and the western coastal plain is one of the country's most fertile agricultural areas. At the southern end of the High Plateau are the country's highest mountains: Citlaltepetl or Orizaba Peak, 18,701.70 ft. above sea level, Popocatepetl 17,888.01 ft. and Iztaccihuatl or Sleeping Woman, 17,343.37 ft. The Sierras Madre form two large watersheds sloping to the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific where Mexico's most important rivers are located. The Pacific watershed is comprised of the Lerma and Santiago, Balsas, Yaqui and Fuerte rivers. The Gulf of Mexico's watershed is made up of the Bravo del Norte, (Rio Grande), Panuco, Usumacinta, Papaloapan and the Mezcalapa. In addition to the rivers listed above, the Gulf of Mexico's watershed is also traversed by the Coatzacoalcos, Grijalva and San Fernando rivers, among others. The country's largest lake is Chapala, in the State of Jalisco, followed by Cuitzeo, Patzcuaro, in the State of Michoacan, and Yuriria, in the State of Guanajuato. Mexican territorial waters extend 12 miles from the coast. In accordance with the new rules of international law, Mexico exercises jurisdiction over its natural resources within a total extension of 200 miles surrounding its coast, which is known as the Exclusive Economic Zone. It is estimated that Mexico's national waters hold over 100 commercial species, of which at least 80 are scale fish. Mexico's population in 1986 was 80.1 million, which made it the eleventh most populated country in the world and the third in the Western Hemisphere. The average density was 41 inhabitants per sq. km. From 1970 to 1980, the population grew at an annual rate of 3.19% one of the highest in the world. Indeed, the population almost doubled in the last twenty years. However, as a result of constant increases in the educational level of the population, together with voluntary family planning campaigns, around 1985 the population was increasing at a rate of 2.2% annually, and it is hoped that this rate will continue to fall in coming years. The natural growth in the number of inhabitants, combined with the attraction of certain centers of industrial and service sector growth, as well as overpopulation in the rural areas in some parts of central Mexico, has led to a process of increased urbanization. Nowadays, 60.2% of the population live in a few cities, mostly in Mexico City (20 million inhabitants), Guadalajara (approx. 4 million) and Monterrey (approx. 3 million) which has created problems in housing, services and pollution. In order to alleviate the situation, the government is promoting the establishment of new centers of development, which will slow the growth of the principal urban centers in accordance with the Plan for Human Settlements. Demographic studies of the Mexican population show that 42.8% of the country's inhabitants are under 15 years of age and 70.4% of the total are under 30. FOREIGN POLICY The philosophy and principles that shape Mexican foreign policy are a product of its historical experience as an independent nation. At the end of the armed struggle for independence from Spain in 1821, the country had to face difficult international problems; Spain's attempt to restore colonial rule, the occupation of the Port of Veracruz by French troops in order to support a compensation claim for supposed injuries suffered by the French subjects, the war of Texas that culminated in the United States invasion of Mexico and the loss of half of Mexico's original territory, the invasion of French troops that led to the establishment of the monarchy under the rule of the Austrian Prince Maximilian of Hapsburg, and the hostility of the major power and their diplomatic and armed aggressions during the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Those were some of the main historical experiences from which a cohesive and solid foreign policy was formulated. The basic principles derived from those experiences are: national sovereignty and self-determination, so that each people can exercise the right to choose the form of government it desires; non-intervention in the internal affairs of other States; legal equality of all States; avoidance of the use of force and peaceful settlement of international disputes; and international cooperation in all fields. The continuity and consistency with which Mexico has applied these principles concerning international crises and its relations with other countries have allowed it to play an increasingly participative and constructive role in world affairs. Mexico has to its credit the fact that it has never started a war, nor has it ever initiated an armed attack against any other country. Neither jointly nor on its own. On the contrary, it has been a nation which has based its behavior in foreign affairs in accordance with rules of international law since it has always maintained that it is the only way to ensure a peaceful world. The observance of international law and the use of diplomatic and political negotiations are deemed the most appropriate measures in order to avoid war and to promote international cooperation. Within this context, Mexico has participated in the creation and functioning of international organizations, since their fundamental goals, such as securing peace and insuring international cooperation, are part of the pacifist philosophy of Mexico's foreign policy. Mexico was a member of the League of Nations and later a founding number of the United Nations, and actively participates in all the agencies which make up the United Nations system. Mexico upholds the principles of the United Nations Charter; it supports the United Nations doctrine of universality and urges strict observance of its resolutions. It advocates that the Organization and all its specialized agencies be constantly reinforced and made more efficient, and to that end it has participated actively in the various activities that are carried out within the framework of the United Nations. As an example it can be pointed out that the constant and dedicated Mexican participation in the long process of negotiations that have been held at the United Nations Conference of the Law of the Sea, for over ten years of long and difficult deliberations, has contributed to the successful elaboration of a global convention on the Law of the Sea. Mexico's determined action in these negotiations was based on the conviction of an urgent need for a treaty on this subject that allows the rational and equitable utilization of the ocean resources, and also contributes to the support of world stability and peace. Likewise, Mexico, in accordance with its above mentioned principles of foreign policy, has fulfilled an important role at the regional and worldwide level in the efforts aimed at attaining conventional and nuclear disarmament. Mexico has been a member of the Committee on Disarmament, of the Eighteen Nations Committee on Disarmament and, at the present time, various Mexican initiatives favoring the possibilities for a global and complete disarmament have been introduced. In the Eighteen Nations Committee on Disarmament it supported the idea of unilateral nuclear disarmament. At the same time, Mexico determined not to possess or allow nuclear arms in its territory, it proposed the extension of this concept in the Latin American region. Later on, this idea became a reality through the "Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America" or "Tlatelolco Treaty (1967)", under which the one and only nuclear-free zone in a dense populated area of the world has been created. This concept of nuclear-free zones is being studied and likely to be emulated in other regions of the world, as an effective means to present nuclear proliferation overseas. Mexico maintains that political and economic independence cannot be conceived of separately. Accordingly, Mexico's foreign policy proposes to achieve international coexistence based not only upon peace, but also on cooperation in all fields. Its foreign policy is a continuation of its domestic economic and social development policy. Therefore, some of the goals in the international arena are to consolidate national independence, both political and economic, to seek international support for the country's domestic progress and to help structure a just world order, leading to lasting peace. At the time Mexico has defended political decolonization and has struggled against inhuman policies such as Apartheid. Also, it has collaborated with solidarity with the rest of Third World countries since it shares with them a common goal: to achieve economic development. Considering that economic development essentially depends on each country's efforts, Mexico also maintains that in order to attain such a goal it is necessary to count on a more equitable economic and political relationship among industrialized and developing countries. Hence it has participated in the efforts towards the establishment of a new international economic order and the strengthening of the dialogue between the North and the South countries. In this context, Mexico has contributed with initiatives such as the "Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States", favoring as well as promoting direct contacts among leading countries with the aim of launching global negotiations in the United Nations. With this purpose, in 1981, Mexico hosted the International Meeting on Cooperation and Development (also called the Cancun North-South Summit Meeting) in which 22 Heads of State and Government of the most representative industrialized and developing countries participated. This action of a global nature in the international organizations has been complemented by Mexico's concern in strengthening the bonds of solidarity and cooperation in the American Continent. Mexico is one of the founding members of the Organization of American States and has also promoted the creation of new regional international organizations intended to strengthen Latin American cooperation such as ALADI (which replaced the Latin American Free Trade Association -LAFTA-), OLADE (Latin American Energy Organization -LAEO-), and SELA (Latin American Economic System -LAES-). However, Mexico's interests and priorities at the international level are not expected to necessarily coincide with other nations' viewpoints at all times, as a national consequence of Mexico's particular position in the world scenario. Nevertheless, grave dangers inherent in the international arena make it necessary to reaffirm respect for principles and forms of international law, and of the collective will established by international organizations to solve them. Mexico has, above all, an independent foreign policy and consequently maintains a wide range of friendly and diplomatic relations throughout the world, from its neighbors in the Americas to Asia, Africa and Eastern and Western Europe. One of Mexico's priorities in foreign affairs is to ensure safe and proper international conditions for enabling the country's development process. The persistance of military threats and unchecked uses of power not only jeopardize Mexico's yearnings to live in a peaceful environment, but also shrinks the potential of increased trade, financial dealings, flows of people, technology and culture across boundaries. Some of the most important issues in Mexico's foreign policy agenda are the international debt crisis, the ongoing Central American conflict, to which Mexico is a neighbor, fair trading practices and pricing for the country's exports, the strengthening of multilateral organizations, as well as effective international efforts against global common threats such as the arms race, environmental pollution and illicit drugs trafficking. Notwithstanding Mexico pursues a foreign policy that seeks relations with all peoples, the Western Hemisphere, its most immediate geographical realm, is a priority. In this sense, ties with countries of Latin America, the Caribbean and North America are of utmost importance. With Latin America, Mexico not only shares geography, but a common language, and heritage, as well as historical and economic similarities. In the recent past, Mexico has launched several diplomatic initiatives with these nations for jointly dealing with issues like the Central American conflict, curbing drug trafficking and production and addressing the indebtedness crisis. Mexico's neighbor to the North, the United States of America provides for one of the world's most dynamic and complex relationships. For Mexico, the U.S. is its first trading partner, whereas for the U.S., Mexico is its third largest trading counterpart, after Japan and Canada. In 1988 the total trade between the two countries amounted for 43 billion dollars. The largest share of Mexican foreign debt is contracted with the U.S. The largest community of American citizens living outside the U.S. is in Mexico, whereas for Mexicans the U.S. is the most preferred destination as a job market and other business purposes. Annually, Mexico hosts more than 4 million American tourists, while U.S. direct foreign investment is the largest of any nation in Mexico. Likewise, the U.S. is the single largest buyer of Mexican oil. The two countries' 2,000 mile common border is one of the most active in the world, roughly 100 million people cross it both ways yearly. It is an essentially peaceful border, non-militarized in either side, unlike most borders in the world. Over the years, it has become a solid tradition that the Presidents of Mexico and the U.S. meet at least once a year to discuss bilateral and international issues. Very often the two presidents meet more with each other than any other two Heads of State in the world. At least once a year, Congressmen of Mexico and the U.S. get together to review legislative aspects of the bilateral agenda and also do members of both countries' cabinets, usually led by the respective Secretaries of Foreign Affairs and Secretary of State. Therefore, the relations between Mexico and the U.S. are characterized for their complexity, wide array of issues and active exchange in the political, economic, social and culture fields. Nonetheless, Mexico's international contacts have grown steadily all over the world. Increasing exchange is sought with Asia, West and Eastern Europe and Africa. A well balanced and diversified international action has proved to be productive as it reduces vulnerability before any other nation and enlarges the possibilities of political and economic cooperation.