Breathe
By Lillian Briseño
In the context of the Trumpian outbursts against Mexican sovereignty and the denomination of the Gulf of America to the Gulf of Mexico, February is a good month to remember some events that have marked a before and after in the history of this country and also in the development of the construction of Mexicanness and nationalism, such as the 5th and 24th, which celebrate, respectively, the Constitution and the Flag.
Anecdotally, the Christmas holidays come to an end on February 2 with the celebration of Candlemas Day, in which the "presentation" of the child God and the eating of tamales play a leading role from a religious and popular point of view. Beliefs and traditions of pre-Hispanic and colonial origin, still rooted in the country today, give a special color to the day and reaffirm our cultural expressions.
But February 2nd is also a sad memory for Mexico, or should be, because on that day, in 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, by means of which our country "ceded" -without there being many options not to do so- 53% of the national territory to the northern neighbors in exchange for 15 million dollars. Obviously it was not a fair arrangement for Mexicans, but it may have been the only way to preserve the other half and national sovereignty.
The issue is that the treaty signed 176 years ago is still in force and defines the border limits between the two neighbors. During that period, it only underwent one modification when both countries signed the Treaty of Gadsden, through which Mexico sold the territory of La Mesilla to the United States for 10 million dollars. Once again, the gringos expanded their extension at the expense of the Mexicans, with the endorsement of the always polemic Antonio López de Santa Anna.
But things would not end there regarding the delimitation of the border between these two countries. According to the Guadalupe Hidalgo, the Río Bravo constitutes the natural border between Mexico and the United States, however, in 1864 the river changed its course to the south to our detriment, in the area known as El Chamizal between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, taking from us about 250 hectares that would quickly be appropriated by the expansionist neighbors.
Aware of this new attack on our territory, Mexico immediately began to reclaim the invaded lands, even taking the discussion to international bodies. The negotiation was not exactly expeditious, since the gringos found all kinds of pretexts not to abide by the rules of the game for decades; many decades. Presidents of the stature of Juarez, Diaz and Madero, would take into account this dispossession and would try to return it, without obtaining results.
Strangely enough, however, this story would have a happy ending for Mexico and, in 1964, a century after the Rio Grande was diverted, the United States recognized our right to those lands, although it only returned 177 of the 250 hectares in dispute. Literally, from what was lost, what was gained.
Symbolically, however, we were finally striking a blow against our neighbor to the north, we were confirming our sovereignty over our territory and we were reviving nationalist sentiment. The newspapers reported what had happened as a complete success, and the President of Mexico affirmed that Mexico and the United States had given the world a clear example of sanity.
Presidents Adolfo López Mateos and Lyndon B. Johnson would meet in 1964 at the border to celebrate the agreement reached, and give their respective messages* in that symbolic act of returning the lands. It is worth remembering a couple of paragraphs, which today, more than ever, should be known and honored by Trump.
Johnson said:
"Others have built victorious empires and conquered vast territories, but the passage of time and the changes that have taken place have brought such achievements to naught. Working in concert with the free nations of this hemisphere, we can contribute to the creation of an order of peace and progress that will endure for generations to come."
