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PROFILE Official Name: Geography People Government Economy PEOPLE HISTORY Prominent figures in Mexico's war for independence were Father Jose Maria
Morelos; Gen. Augustin de Iturbide, who defeated the Spaniards and ruled as
Mexican emperor from 1822-23; and Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana, who went on
to control Mexican politics from 1833 to 1855. Santa Ana was Mexico's leader
during the conflict with Texas, which declared itself independent from Mexico in
1836, and during Mexico's war with the United States (1846-48). The presidential
terms of Benito Juarez (1858-71) were interrupted by the Hapsburg monarchy's
rule of Mexico (1864-67). Archduke Maximilian of Austria, whom Napoleon III of
France established as Emperor of Mexico, was deposed by Juarez and executed in
1867. Gen. Porfirio Diaz was president during most of the period between 1877
and 1911.
Mexico's severe social and economic problems erupted in a revolution that
lasted from 1910-20 and gave rise to the 1917 constitution. Prominent leaders in
this period--some of whom were rivals for power--were Francisco I. Madero,
Venustiano Carranza, Pancho Villa, Alvaro Obregon, Victoriano Huerta, and
Emiliano Zapata. The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), formed in 1929
under a different name, continues to be the most important political force in
the nation. It emerged as a coalition of interests after the chaos of the
revolution as a vehicle for keeping political competition in peaceful channels.
For almost 70 years, Mexico's national government has been controlled by the
PRI, which has won every presidential race and most gubernatorial races.
GOVERNMENT The Congress is composed of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies. Consecutive
re-election is prohibited. Senators are elected to 6-year terms, and deputies
serve 3-year terms. In the lower chamber, 300 deputies are directly elected to
represent single-member districts, and 200 are selected by a modified form of
proportional representation from five electoral regions created for this purpose
across the country. The 200 proportional representation seats were created to
help smaller parties gain access to the Chamber.
The judiciary is divided into federal and state court systems, with federal
courts having jurisdiction over most civil cases and those involving major
felonies. Under the constitution, trial and sentencing must be completed within
12 months of arrest for crimes that would carry at least a 2-year sentence. In
practice, the judicial system often does not meet this requirement. Trial is by
judge, not jury, in most criminal cases. Defendants have a right to counsel, and
public defenders are available. Other rights include defense against
self-incrimination, the right to confront one's accusers, and the right to a
public trial. Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president and approved
by the Senate.
National Security Principal Government Officials Mexico maintains an embassy in the United States at 1911 Pennsylvania Ave.
NW, Washington, DC 20006 (tel. 202-728-1600). Consular offices are located at
2827 - 16th St. NW, 20009 (tel. 202-736-1012), and the trade office is
co-located at the embassy (tel. 202-728-1686).
Consulates general are located in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Antonio, San Diego, and San
Francisco; consulates are (partial listing) in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit,
Philadelphia, Seattle, St. Louis, and Tucson.
POLITICAL CONDITIONS Fox has proposed major changes in the relationship between the individual and
the state as well as between the individual states and the federal government.
The President named a diverse cabinet and vowed to maintain a prudent fiscal
policy, emphasize job creation, promote more legal emigration into the United
States, initiate negotiations with the rebels in the southern state of Chiapas,
and move ahead with constitutional reforms, such as the reelection of members of
Congress.
Recent Elections Numerous electoral reforms implemented since 1989 aided in the opening of the
Mexican political system, and opposition parties have made historic gains in
elections at all levels. Many of the concerns shifted from fraud to campaign
fairness issues. During 1995-96 the political parties negotiated constitutional
amendments to address these issues. Implementing legislation included major
points of consensus that had been worked out with the opposition parties. The
thrust of the new laws has public financing predominate over private
contributions to political parties, tightens procedures for auditing the
political parties, and strengthens the authority and independence of electoral
institutions. The court system also was given greatly expanded authority to hear
civil rights cases on electoral matters brought by individuals or groups. In
short, the extensive reform efforts have "leveled the playing field"
for the parties.
Even before the new electoral law was passed, opposition parties had obtained
an increasing voice in Mexico's political system. A substantial number of
candidates from opposition parties had won election to the Chamber of Deputies
and senate. As a result of the 2000 elections, the Congress will be more diverse
than ever. In the new Chamber, 211 seats belong to the PRI, 206 to the PAN, 50
to the PRD, 17 for the Green Party, and the remaining 16 are split among four
smaller parties. In the 128-seat Senate, the upper house of Congress, the PRI
still holds the most seats at 60, but the PAN holds 46, the PRD15, the Greens 5,
and two smaller parties each have one seat. Senators serve 6 years in office and
Deputies 3 years; neither can be elected to consecutive terms.
In the aftermath of the July 2, 2000 elections, many political analysts
assumed that the PRI, having lost its first presidential election, was a dying
party. This rush to judgment has not been borne out by the facts. Certainly, the
first state election in Chiapas, after July 2 appeared to confirm that
prediction. Chiapas has long been a treasury of reliable votes for the PRI, but
the opposition parties there joined in a broadbased coalition, including the PRD
and the PAN. On August 20, around 50% of the eligible voters in Chiapas chose
the coalition opposition candidate Pablo Salazar over the PRI's Sami David David
by a six-point margin.
Yet, on September 3 in the coastal state of Veracruz, the PRI won more than
half of the 210 municipal presidencies at stake, highlighting the party's
underlying strength. On October 15, the PRI appeared to retain the governorship
in the southeastern state of Tabasco, but the results were overturned by the
federal electoral tribunal following allegations of voting irregularities. On
November 12, the PAN maintained the governorship of the western state of Jalisco
by a slim margin, but again the race was contested, this time by the PRI.
The bottom line is that reports of the PRI's demise have been greatly
exaggerated, and it will continue to be a major force for the foreseeable
future.
Other Reforms Although the constitution provides for three branches of government, the
Mexican presidency traditionally occupies a dominant position. In order to
overcome this "presidentialism," the administration of President
Ernesto Zedillo sought to develop a greater role for the Congress, notably by
inviting the participation of a multi-party legislative commission in the
Chiapas peace negotiations and seeking congressional approval of the financial
assistance package signed by the U.S. and Mexico in February 1995. Congress'
role as a coequal balance to the Executive also received a boost after the July
1997 elections, which gave the opposition the strength to command a majority in
the Chamber of Deputies. The judicial reforms mentioned above were designed in
part to allow the judicial branch of government to become a more effective
counterweight to the other two branches. The Zedillo administration also
promoted a "new federalism" to devolve more power to state and local
governments, starting with pilot programs in education and health.
Chiapas Education Education is mandatory from ages 6 through 18. The increase in school
enrollments during the past two decades has been dramatic. By 1999, 94% of the
population between the ages of 6 and 14 were enrolled in school. Primary,
including preschool, enrollment totaled 17.2 million in 2000. Enrollment at the
secondary public school level rose from 1.4 million in 1972 to 5.4 million in
2000. A rapid rise also occurred in higher education. Between 1959-2000 college
enrollments rose from 62,000 to more than 2.0 million.
ECONOMY Mexico's NAFTA membership helped the Mexican economy grow at an annualized
rate of 2.3% in 1994-99. Following the December 1994 devaluation of the peso,
Mexico experienced a severe financial crisis that also threatened the stability
of other emerging market economies, especially in Latin America. The United
States responded by leading a group of international lenders in making available
to Mexico more than $40 billion in international financial assistance, including
$20 billion from the United States. This action helped stabilize the Mexican
economy, allowing Mexico to repay the loans to the United States more than 3
years ahead of schedule. The oil revenue windfall from Mexico's oil exports in
2000 reduced its recourse to the international capital market and allowed Mexico
to pay off its debt to the International Monetary Fund and to liquidate some
$7.9 billion in Brady bonds ahead of time.
Other indicators show that Mexico achieved the objectives of the emergency
economic program developed to cope with the 1995 peso crisis. Although the 1995
recession was severe-real GDP fell 6.2%--tough stabilization measures averted a
more serious collapse and brought about a rapid recovery. Mexican real GDP grew
7.2% in 2000, 3.7% in 1999, and 4.9% in 1998. The outlook is 7.0% for 2000.
During these years, inflation and unemployment fell, and the value of the peso
stabilized. NAFTA contributed to the process of adjustment by enabling Mexico to
reduce its current account deficit through increased exports rather than through
slashing imports from the United States, as it had following the 1982 debt
crisis.
Trade U.S.-Mexico trade has increased dramatically since NAFTA. In 1993, the year
before NAFTA took effect, U.S. exports to Mexico totaled $41.6 billion and U.S.
imports from Mexico $40.7 billion. By the end of 1999, U.S. exports had risen to
$87 billion and imports from Mexico to $110 billion. From 1994-2000, according
to U.S. data, two-way trade increased from $82.3 billion to $261.7 billion.
Although trade deficits characterize U.S. trade with Mexico, U.S. exports to
Mexico have been rising at a much faster rate than U.S. exports with the rest of
the world. Between 1993 and 1999, U.S. exports to Mexico grew three times as
fast as its exports to the rest of the world. Much of this trade is
complementary intra-industry trade, a pattern of trade that shows that
specialization in manufactured goods is progressing. As Mexico broadens and
deepens its economic base, U.S. exports to Mexico will continue to rise in the
interest of both countries.
NAFTA eliminates restrictions on the flow of goods, services, and investments
in North America. In addition to phasing out tariffs, NAFTA eliminates, as far
as possible, non-tariff barriers and promotes safeguards for intellectual
property rights--patents, copyrights, and trademarks. This pact also includes
provisions on trade rules and dispute settlements, and its parallel labor
agreement seeks to ensure full protection of worker's rights.
Through its supplemental environment cooperation agreement, NAFTA marked the
first time in the history of U.S. trade policy that environmental concerns have
been addressed in a comprehensive trade agreement. The pact also serves as a
basis for enhancing ongoing U.S.-Mexico cooperation on a host of other issues
that do not respect national borders.
Agriculture There have been programs that provide money to pay off loans and help banks
with their debt burdens. While high credit costs are still a major problem
impeding agricultural development, the burden of debt has been reduced. High
interest rates for loans have compounded the difficulty for producers, and the
1994 peso crisis exacerbated the decline in productivity. Agriculture accounted
for 5.8% of GDP in 1999.
In an effort to raise rural productivity and living standards, Article 27 of
the Mexican Constitution was amended in 1992 to allow for the transfer of
communal land to the farmers cultivating it. They then could rent or sell it,
opening the way for larger farms and economies of scale. By early 1996, however,
only six farmers' cooperatives had voted to dissolve themselves, perhaps because
the government provides subsidies for communal land seeded by farmers. (The
subsidy was 700 pesos per hectare in 1999.) Since communal land use is formally
reviewed only every 2 years, privatization of these communal lands may continue
to be very slow.
In the past, the government encouraged production of basic crops such as corn
and beans by maintaining support prices. In order to rationalize its
agricultural sector, Mexico is phasing out its support price scheme. Corn
production dropped in 1995 and 1996 as more was imported. The government in 1996
crafted federal-to-state agreements targeted at each states' most urgent needs,
with the goal of increasing the use of modern equipment and technology in order
to increase per-acre productivity. In addition to this new initiative, the
government is continuing PROCAMPO, the rural support program which provides the
approximately 3.5 million farmers who produce basic commodities--about 64% of
all farmers--with a fixed payment per hectare of cropland.
Manufacturing and Foreign Investment The industrial sector as a whole, which along with manufacturing includes
construction, electricity, and mining, grew 6.6% rate in 1998, 4.2% in 1999, and
may rise by 6.4% in 2000. Construction grew 4.2% rate in 1998, 4.5% in 1999, and
may rise by 6.6% in 2000.
In December 1993, Mexico passed a new foreign investment law which promotes
competitiveness and established clear rules for the entry of international
capital into productive activities. The law permits foreigners to own
nonresidential property in the "restricted zones"--within 100
kilometers (62 miles) of the border and 50 kilometers of the coasts. Residential
property in these zones still must be acquired via a trust through a Mexican
financial institution. Total direct foreign investment in 1999 was $11.6
billion, 60% of which was of U.S. origin. In 2000, direct foreign investment may
rise to $14.0 billion.
Transportation and Communications Tampico and Veracruz, on the Gulf of Mexico, are Mexico's two primary
seaports. Recognizing that the low productivity of Mexico's 108 ports poses a
threat to trade development, the government has steadily been privatizing port
operations to improve their efficiency. A number of international airlines serve
Mexico, with direct or connecting flights from most major cities in the United
States, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Latin America. Most Mexican regional capitals
and resorts have direct air services to Mexico City or the United States.
Airport privatization, based on Mexico's successful experience with seaports, is
nearly complete.
Mexico has taken significant steps to modernize its telecommunications
system. A key element was the privatization in 1990 of the national telephone
company, Telefonos de Mexico (TELMEX), which was sold to a consortium of Mexican
investors, Southwestern Bell, and France Telecom. A positive result has been the
increase in telephone lines and telephones for the general population. The
government has opened the telecommunications sector to greater foreign
investment. Competition in long-distance telecommunications service began in
1997, and competitors quickly gained a 30% share of the market. Eleven companies
provide cellular telephone service to various parts of Mexico, resulting in a
dramatic expansion of cellular telephone services to various parts of Mexico and
a dramatic expansion of cellular telephone users. Three communications
satellites were in use in Mexico in 1999. One satellite ceased operating in
2000.
FOREIGN RELATIONS Mexico actively participates in several international organizations. It is a
supporter of the United Nations and Organization of American States systems and
also pursues its interests through a number of ad hoc international bodies.
Mexico has been selective in its membership in other international
organizations. It declined, for example, to become a member of Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Nevertheless, Mexico does seek to
diversify its diplomatic and economic relations, as demonstrated by its
accession to GATT in 1986; its joining APEC in 1993; becoming, in April 1994,
the first Latin American member of the OECD; and a founding member of the World
Trade Organization (WTO) in 1996. Mexico attended the 1994 Summit of the
Americas, held in Miami, and managed coordination of the agenda item on
education for the 1998 Summit of the Americas in Santiago, Chile.
U.S.-MEXICAN RELATIONS The scope of U.S.-Mexican relations goes far beyond diplomatic and official
contacts; it entails extensive commercial, cultural, and educational ties, as
demonstrated by the annual figure of nearly 340 million legal crossings from
Mexico to the United States in the fiscal year 1999. In addition, more than a
half-million American citizens live in Mexico. More than 2,600 U.S. companies
have operations there, and the U.S. accounts for 60% of all foreign direct
investment in Mexico. Along the 2,000-mile shared border, state and local
governments interact closely.
Since 1981, the management of the broad array of U.S.-Mexico issues has been
formalized in the U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission, composed of numerous U.S.
cabinet members and their Mexican counterparts. The commission holds annual
plenary meetings, and many subgroups meet during the course of the year to
discuss trade and investment opportunities, financial cooperation, consular
issues and migration, legal affairs and anti-narcotics cooperation, cultural
relations, education, energy, border affairs, environment and natural resources,
labor, agriculture, health, housing and urban development, transportation,
fisheries, tourism, and science and technology. The commission met most recently
on May 2000 in Washington D.C.
A strong partnership with Mexico is critical to controlling the flow of
illicit drugs into the United States. The U.S. has certified Mexico as fully
cooperating in this effort based on the level of cooperation on counternarcotics
and Mexico's own initiatives in fighting drug trafficking. The U.S. will
continue working with Mexico to help ensure that Mexico's cooperation and
anti-drug efforts grow even stronger.
During 1996, the U.S. and Mexico established a High-Level Contact Group
(HLCG) on narcotics control to explore joint solutions to the shared drug
threat, to coordinate the full range of narcotics issues, and to promote closer
law enforcement coordination. President Zedillo formalized his government's
commitment to counternarcotics cooperation with the United States by signing the
"Declaration of the Mexican-U.S. Alliance Against Drugs" with
President Clinton in May 1997. The U.S. and Mexico continue to cooperate on
narcotics interdiction, demand reduction, and eradication. Mexican Government
authorities have seized a record number of drugs over the past few years.
Marijuana and heroin seizures in 2000 have increased by 50% and 61%
respectively, while cocaine seizures are 34% lower than last year.
Border and Environmental Affairs Cooperation between the United States and Mexico along the 2,000-mile common
border includes state and local problem-solving mechanisms; transportation
planning; and institutions to address resource, environment, and health issues.
In 1993, the Border Liaison Mechanism (BLM) was established; now 10 BLMs chaired
by U.S. and Mexican consuls operate in "sister city" pairs. BLMs have
proven to be effective means of dealing with a variety of local issues ranging
from accidental violation of sovereignty by law enforcement officials and
charges of mistreatment of foreign nationals to coordination of port security
and cooperation in public health matters such as tuberculosis. The BLMs form an
integral part of the "New Border Vision."
As the number of people and the volume of cargo crossing the U.S.-Mexico
border grow, so, too, does the need for coordinated infrastructure development.
The multi-agency U.S.-Mexico Binational Group on Bridges and Border Crossings
meets twice yearly to improve the efficiency of existing crossings and
coordinate planning for new ones. The 10 U.S. and Mexican Border States have
become active participants in these meetings. The U.S. and Mexico also conduct
an annual "Border Walk" to gain a first-hand impression of how border
crossings are working.
The United States and Mexico have a long history of cooperation on
environmental and natural resource issues, particularly in the border area,
where there are serious environmental problems caused by rapid population
growth, urbanization, and industrialization. Cooperative activities between the
U.S. and Mexico take place under a number of agreements such as:
Principal U.S. Officials The U.S. embassy in Mexico is located at Paseo de la Reforma 305, 06500
Mexico, DF. U.S. Mailing Address: Box 3087, Laredo, Texas 78044-3087, Tel. (from
the U.S.): (011) (52-5) 209-9100. Internet: http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov
The embassy and the 19 other U.S. Consulates General, Consulates, and
consular agents provide a range of services to American students, tourists,
business people, and residents throughout Mexico.
U.S. Consulates General, Consulates, and Officials
Consulate General, Ciudad Juarez-Edward H. Vazquez Consulate General, Guadalajara-Edward H. Wilkinson Consulate General, Monterrey-Robert Nolan Consulate General, Tijuana-Richard F. Gonzalez Consulate, Hermosillo-Ronald J. Kramer Consulate, Matamoros-David L. Stone Consulate, Merida-Glen C. Keiser Consulate, Nogales--Jane Gray Consulate, Nuevo Laredo-Thomas H. Armbruster Consular Agents
Acapulco--Alexander Richards Cabo San Lucas--Michael John Houston Cancun--Lynette Belt Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo--Elizabeth Williams Mazatlan--Gerianne Gallardo Oaxaca--Mark A. Leyes Puerto Vallarta-Kelly Trainor San Luis Potosi-Carolyn Lazaro San Miguel de Allende--Philip Maher OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION U.S. Department of Commerce
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained from the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For after-hours emergencies, Sundays and holidays, call 202-647-4000. Passport information can be obtained by calling the National Passport Information Center's automated system ($.35 per minute) or live operators 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST) Monday-Friday ($1.05 per minute). The number is 1-900-225-5674 (TDD: 1-900-225-7778). Major credit card users (for a flat rate of $4.95) may call 1-888-362-8668 (TDD: 1-888-498-3648). It also is available on the internet. Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. A booklet entitled Health Information for International Travel (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800. Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency and customs regulations, legal holidays, and other items of interest to travelers also may be obtained before your departure from a country's embassy and/or consulates in the U.S. (for this country, see "Principal Government Officials" listing in this publication). U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are encouraged to register at the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a country (see "Principal U.S. Embassy Officials" listing in this publication). This may help family members contact you in case of an emergency. |
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