Resistancia: A Mexican Bulwark Against Trans-National Hegemony?

Mexico’s Lopez Obrador’s Position on Venezuela Marks Return to Foreign Policy Tradition

by TRNN

February 10, 2019

Mexico and Uruguay came together last Wednesday in Montevideo, Uruguay to propose a four-step mediation effort to help resolve the political crisis going on in Venezuela.

The four-step process, which they are calling the Montevideo mechanism, would involve first establishing a dialogue between the main actors. Second, negotiation of common objectives. Third, signing of an agreement. And fourth, implementation with international accompaniment. Notably, Mexico refused to sign a different agreement which was presented by the International Contact Group on Venezuela, which also met in Uruguay this week.

Bolivia and the Caribbean community also refused to sign the statement, which called for early elections in Venezuela.

Now, President Lopez Obrador’s stance in the Venezuelan conflict between President Maduro and the so-called interim president Juan Guaido is being received with some degree of controversy within Mexico. Some politicians are saying that Mexico ought to side with the U.S., while others support President Lopez Obrador’s position, saying that it is in accordance with longstanding Mexican foreign policy tradition of maintaining neutrality in such issues.

Mexico is making a large contribution towards the prevention of civil war in Venezuela, by returning to long-established foreign policy tradition of neutrality, which the previous president had completely abandoned, says John Ackerman