Estrada Doctrine

Last updated

The Estrada Doctrine is Mexico's core foreign policy guideline since 1930; according to it, states should not formally announce the diplomatic recognition of foreign governments, as that could be perceived as a judgment on the legitimacy of said government, and such an action would imply a breach of state sovereignty. [1] The policy is based on the principles of non-intervention, peaceful resolution of disputes and self-determination of all nations. [2] In line with the Estrada doctrine, Mexico to this day – and in contrast with most other states – does not issue formal declarations of diplomatic recognition of new states or governments. [3]

Contents

The doctrine’s name derives from Genaro Estrada, Secretary of Foreign Affairs during the presidency of Pascual Ortiz Rubio (1930–1932). [1]

Background

On September 12, 1931, Mexico was admitted to the League of Nations. That was a significant event as it had not been invited since the creation of the intergovernmental organization once the First World War ended, which can be attributed mainly to some unsolved problems between Mexico and the United States. In the heart of the forum, Mexico established its position in favor of the international law and the principles of non-intervention and self-determination. The Mexican government always supported the peaceful resolution of disputes and rejected the use of force in international relations. All of that gave the country a major international prestige. As for its southern neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico returned to the International Conference of American States, where it had been previously excluded because the government had not been recognized by the US. The country gained an outstanding prestige in the conferences that took place in Havana (1928) and Montevideo (1933), which postured for Latin American union and international law. [4]

Meanwhile, Mexico had the opportunity to spread its position towards the international practice of recognition, known as the Estrada Doctrine. Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Genaro Estrada, pointed out on September 27, 1930: [2]

The government of Mexico restricts itself to keep or retire, when considered appropriate, its diplomatic agents and to continue accepting, when considered appropriate as well, similar diplomatic agents whose respective nations have accredited in Mexico, without qualifying, neither hastily nor a posteriori , the right that nations have to accept, keep or replace their governments or authorities.

Content

The Estrada Doctrine suggests that upon the establishment of de facto governments in other countries, Mexico did not support giving recognition because it is considered a degrading practice. By injuring the sovereignty of other states, recognition puts them in a vulnerable position because their internal affairs can be judged by other governments, which assume a critical attitude when deciding about the legality and legitimacy of foreign governments. [2] Mexico was itself harmed because of the practice, as it was difficult to obtain recognition of its independence.

The most extended use of the Estrada Doctrine was in the 1970s, when Mexico did not withdraw its recognition of any South American government that was formed through a coup d'état . The only measure Mexico could use against such governments was withdrawing its diplomatic mission. [1]

In other words, the Estrada Doctrine states that Mexico should not make positive or negative judgements about the governments, or changes in government, of other nations, because such an action would imply a breach to their sovereignty. [1] In addition, the doctrine is based on the universally-recognized principles of self-determination and non-intervention, which are considered essential for mutual respect and cooperation amongst nations. [2]

Current status

During the Vicente Fox administration (2000–2006), both Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Castañeda Gutman and Luis Ernesto Derbez, tried to discontinue the Estrada Doctrine, [5] resulting in what was called the Castañeda Doctrine. Under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico began to utilize the Estrada Doctrine once more, especially during the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis. [6]

Criticism

Most of the critics of the doctrine were directed toward whether it was morally and politically valid or not that the Mexican government stayed "neutral" in the presence of governments categorized as dictatorships. [1]

Jorge Castañeda Gutman, who would later serve a two-year term as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs during the Vicente Fox administration, criticized Mexico's foreign policy in 1987: [7]

In the Mexican foreign policy, it has been continuously claimed the defense of our principles and international law. In accordance to this, then we do not have any interest, we have principles instead, which can be qualified as a diplomatic hypocrisy. In the long term, this unfortunate implementation of the principles undermines any internal support for every real foreign policy (with costs, consequences and benefits) and confers the country an arrogant halo in the international scene.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Mexico</span> Overview of the foreign relations of Mexico

The foreign relations of Mexico are directed by the President of the United Mexican States and managed through the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs. The principles of the foreign policy are constitutionally recognized in the Article 89, Section 10, which include: respect for international law and legal equality of states, their sovereignty and independence, non-intervention in the domestic affairs of other countries, peaceful resolution of conflicts, and promotion of collective security through active participation in international organizations. Since the 1930s, the Estrada Doctrine has served as a crucial complement to these principles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montevideo Convention</span> 1933 pan-American treaty on statehood

The Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States is a treaty signed at Montevideo, Uruguay, on December 26, 1933, during the Seventh International Conference of American States. The Convention codifies the declarative theory of statehood as accepted as part of customary international law. At the conference, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull declared the Good Neighbor Policy, which opposed U.S. armed intervention in inter-American affairs. The convention was signed by 19 states. The acceptance of three of the signatories was subject to minor reservations. Those states were Brazil, Peru and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political status of Western Sahara</span>

Western Sahara, formerly the Spanish colony of Spanish Sahara, is a disputed territory claimed by both the Kingdom of Morocco and the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro, which is an independence movement based in Algeria. The Annexation of Western Sahara by Morocco took place in two stages, in 1976 and 1979, and is considered illegal under international law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stimson Doctrine</span> American foreign policy doctrine

The Stimson Doctrine is the policy of nonrecognition of states created as a result of a war of aggression. The policy was implemented by the United States government, enunciated in a note of January 7, 1932, to the Empire of Japan and the Republic of China, of non-recognition of international territorial changes imposed by force. The doctrine was an application of the principle of ex injuria jus non oritur. Since the entry into force of the UN Charter, international law scholars have argued that states are under a legal obligation not to recognize annexations as legitimate, but this view is controversial and not supported by consistent state practice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hallstein Doctrine</span> 1955–1970 one-Germany policy during the Cold War

The Hallstein Doctrine, named after Walter Hallstein, was a key principle in the foreign policy of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1955 to 1970. As usually presented, it prescribed that the Federal Republic would not establish or maintain diplomatic relations with any state that recognized the German Democratic Republic. In fact it was more nuanced. There was no public official text of the "doctrine", but its main architect, Wilhelm Grewe, explained it publicly in a radio interview. Konrad Adenauer, who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1949 to 1963, explained the outlines of the policy in a statement to the German parliament on 22 September 1955. It meant that the Federal German government would regard it as an unfriendly act if third countries were to recognize the "German Democratic Republic" or to maintain diplomatic relations with it – with the exception of the Soviet Union. The West German response to such could mean breaking off diplomatic relations, though this was not stated as an automatic response under the policy and in fact remained the ultima ratio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jorge Castañeda Gutman</span> Mexican politician

Jorge Castañeda Gutman is a Mexican politician and academic who served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs (2000–2003).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Mexico)</span>

The secretary of foreign affairs is the foreign secretary of Mexico, responsible for implementing the country's foreign policy. The secretary is appointed by the president of Mexico to head the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and is a member of the federal executive cabinet. The secretary is commonly referred to as Canciller in Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monroe Doctrine</span> US foreign policy regarding the Western Hemisphere first articulated in 1823

The Monroe Doctrine is a United States foreign policy position that opposes European colonialism in the Western Hemisphere. It holds that any intervention in the political affairs of the Americas by foreign powers is a potentially hostile act against the United States. The doctrine was central to American grand strategy in the 20th century.

The Castañeda Doctrine is a term used as reference to Mexico's foreign policy during the presidency of Vicente Fox. Its name derives from its proponent, Jorge Castañeda Gutman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State continuity of the Baltic states</span> Legal continuity of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania

The three Baltic countries, or the Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – are held to have continued as legal entities under international law while under the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1991, as well as during the German occupation in 1941–1944/1945. The prevailing opinion accepts the Baltic thesis of illegal occupation and the actions of the USSR are regarded as contrary to international law in general and to the bilateral treaties between the USSR and the three Baltic countries in particular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jorge Castañeda y Álvarez de la Rosa</span> Mexican diplomat

Jorge Castañeda y Álvarez de la Rosa was a Mexican diplomat. He served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs from April 1979 to 30 November 1982, during the administration of José López Portillo. He was the father of Jorge Castañeda Gutman, who later also served as Foreign Secretary from 2000 to 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genaro Estrada</span>

Genaro Estrada was a Mexican statesman, academic, and writer. He was Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico between 1930 and 1932 and the architect of the Estrada Doctrine, which stated that the Mexican government would acknowledge any foreign government, no matter how it came into power. This doctrine would influence Mexican politics all throughout the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presidency of Vicente Fox</span> President of Mexico from 2000 to 2006

Vicente Fox served as President of Mexico from December 1, 2000 to November 30, 2006. His victory in the federal elections in 2000 ended more than 70 years rule of the Institutional Revolutionary Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ismael Moreno Pino</span> Mexican lawyer and diplomat

Ismael Moreno Pino was a Mexican lawyer, diplomat, scholar and author who served as Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador of Mexico and is widely recognized as a prominent multilateralist and expert in inter-American relations. After the Cuban Missile Crisis which brought the world to the brink of nuclear war, he helped negotiate the Treaty of Tlatelolco (1967), which established Latin America and the Caribbean as the first nuclear-weapon-free zone in a populated part of the Earth. Collaborating closely with Alfonso García Robles, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1982, their efforts were recognized by U Thant, Secretary-General of the United Nations at the time, for their historical significance in preventing nuclear proliferation and halting the arms race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexico–Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic relations</span> Bilateral relations

Mexico–Sahrawi Republic relations are the current and historical relations between Mexico and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Mexico recognized the SADR on 8 September 1979.

Events in the year 2001 in Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political status of the Cook Islands and Niue</span> Overview of the political status of the Cook Islands and Niue

The political status of the Cook Islands and Niue is formally defined as being states in free association within the Realm of New Zealand, which is made up of the Cook Islands, Niue, and New Zealand and its territories, Tokelau and the Ross Dependency. The Cook Islands and Niue have full constitutional independence from New Zealand and act as independent countries. Some countries have recognised them as sovereign entities and established diplomatic relations. However, New Zealand may carry out defence and foreign affairs on behalf of the two associated states when requested.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruno Figueroa Fischer</span> Mexican diplomat

Bruno Figueroa Fischer is a Mexican diplomat. He is currently Ambassador to the Portuguese Republic since December 22, 2022. He was also Ambassador to the Republic of Korea between 2017 and 2022. In his previous positions, he was Director General of the Mesoamerica Integration and Development Project at the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (Amexcid) at the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of Mexico between 2015 and 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbados–Mexico relations</span> Bilateral relations

Barbados–Mexico relations are the diplomatic relations between Barbados and the United Mexican States. Both nations are members of the Association of Caribbean States, Organization of American States and the United Nations.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Rodríguez, Itzel. "De Actualidad Política: ¿Qué dice la Doctrina Estrada?" (in Spanish). Se Piensa. Archived from the original on 2009-03-31. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Palacios Treviño, Jorge. "La Doctrina Estrada y el Principio de la No-Intervención" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  3. Jorge Palacios Treviño (4 May 2004). "La Doctrina Estrada sigue vigente". Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  4. Vázquez Flores (2007), p. 132
  5. Ramírez, Carlos (September 28, 2001). "Doctrina Estrada; Doctrina Castañeda" (in Spanish). Yahoo! GeoCities. Archived from the original on 2009-07-23. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  6. Orgaz, Cristina J. (2019-01-29). "¿Qué puede pasar ahora? 4 posibles escenarios para la crisis política en Venezuela". BBC News . Retrieved 2019-01-30.
  7. Pereña-Gracía (2001), p. 36

Sources