Voices of Mexico no. 50

Our Voice

The changes in Mexico-United States relations in the last years of the century, changes denoting greater maturity than in the past, are particularly important for Mexico. The populist discourse that caused a confrontation between the two countries was not particularly beneficial. Above all, it was very prejudicial for the weaker of the two since, in the last analysis, the giant made its strength felt and its decisions had to be obeyed. It is healthy at this end-of-millennium that the discourse of confrontation has been left behind and that we have moved forward on the path of institutionalization.

Establishing bilateral relations based on institutions means the recognition of the equality of the participants. This sounds simple, but in practical terms, its instrumentation is very complex. Getting the most powerful country in the world to sit down to negotiate in terms of equality is, undoubtedly, a big step forward. For the United States it means showing that its policy goes beyond just imposition by force and, therefore, that it is based on its legitimacy. For Mexico, it presupposes a relationship between equals in which reason and understanding have the upper hand, signifying the possibility of clearing up differences, finding mechanisms for cooperation and, above all, identifying the sources of conflict for designing solutions with appropriate mechanisms that allow for making decisions acceptable to both nations. Undoubtedly, Mexican foreign policy should be understood today in the context of the fundamental changes in the foreign policies of the most developed countries. Nevertheless, it is important not to think that the contest has been won. Nothing guarantees that zero-sum policies have been definitively left behind in international relations. For now, we are hoping.