U.S.-Mexico Relations

The tragic events in New York City and Washington, DC on September 11, 2001, led President Vicente Fox to cancel the annual celebration on September 16th at diplomatic and consular offices in the United States of Mexican Independence. This gesture of solidarity with the government and peoples of the United States is in contrast with another strain of Mexican foreign policy that is, subtly or openly, as the case may be, anti-American. For forty years Mexico has maintained diplomatic relations with the Cuban government led by Fidel Castro, and has opposed the use of force and intimidation against Cuba. Mexico's attitude toward Cuba is both practical and symbolic. Mexico rightly observes that the U.S. policy has had no positive results; further, Mexico does not want to side with the United States and invite Cuban-led social or political disturbances inside Mexico.

Over the course of nearly two hundred years Mexico and the United States have been distant neighbors, as Alan Riding put it in the title of his book on Mexico. The U.S. military has invaded Mexico three times during this period; and, as one result of the first occasion, left with over half the territory then claimed by Mexico in its pocket. The United States also invaded Mexico during the time of the Mexican Revolution, occupying the ports of Tampico and Veracruz. A third instance occurred shortly afterwards when General John Pershing was ordered to lead and expeditionary force into Mexico in pursuit of Pancho Villa.