TheEstrada Doctrine (also known asLa Doctrina Mexico,La Doctrina Mexicana andLa Doctrina Ortiz Rubio) isMexico's coreforeign policy guideline since 1930; according to it, states should not formally announce the diplomatic recognition of foreign governments, as that could be perceived as a judgment on the legitimacy of said government, and such an action would imply a breach of statesovereignty.[1] The policy is based on the principles ofnon-intervention,peaceful resolution of disputes andself-determination of all nations.[2] In line with the Estrada doctrine, Mexico to this day – and in contrast with many other states – does not issue declarations of which government of a foreign country it recognizes as legitimate (for example amid a coup or revolution).[3]
The doctrine’s name derives fromGenaro Estrada,Secretary of Foreign Affairs during the presidency ofPascual Ortiz Rubio (1930–1932).[1][4]
On September 12, 1931, Mexico was admitted to theLeague of Nations. That was a significant event as it had not been invited since the creation of theintergovernmental organization once theFirst World War ended, which can be attributed mainly to some unsolved problems between Mexico and theUnited States. In the heart of the forum, Mexico established its position in favor of theinternational law and the principles ofnon-intervention andself-determination. The Mexican government always supported thepeaceful resolution of disputes and rejected the use of force ininternational relations. All of that gave the country a major international prestige. As for its southern neighbors inLatin America and theCaribbean, Mexico returned to theInternational Conference of American States, where it had been previously excluded because the government had not been recognized by the US. The country gained an outstanding prestige in the conferences that took place inHavana (1928) andMontevideo (1933), which postured for Latin American union and international law.[5]
Meanwhile, Mexico had the opportunity to spread its position towards the international practice ofrecognition, known as the Estrada Doctrine.Secretary of Foreign Affairs,Genaro Estrada, pointed out on September 27, 1930:[2]
Thegovernment of Mexico restricts itself to keep or retire, when considered appropriate, itsdiplomatic agents and to continue accepting, when considered appropriate as well, similar diplomatic agents whose respective nations have accredited in Mexico, without qualifying, neither hastily nora posteriori, the right that nations have to accept, keep or replace their governments or authorities.
The Estrada Doctrine suggests that upon the establishment ofde facto governments in other countries, Mexico did not support givingrecognition because it is considered a degrading practice. By injuring thesovereignty of other states, recognition puts them in a vulnerable position because their internal affairs can be judged by other governments, which assume a critical attitude when deciding about the legality and legitimacy of foreign governments.[2] Mexico was itself harmed because of the practice, as it was difficult to obtain recognition of itsindependence.
The most extended use of the Estrada Doctrine was in the 1970s, when Mexico did not withdraw its recognition of anySouth American government that was formed through acoup d'état. The only measure Mexico could use against such governments was withdrawing itsdiplomatic mission.[1]
In other words, the Estrada Doctrine states that Mexico should not make positive or negative judgements about the governments, or changes in government, of other nations, because such an action would imply a breach to theirsovereignty.[1] In addition, the doctrine is based on the universally-recognized principles ofself-determination andnon-intervention, which are considered essential for mutual respect andcooperation amongst nations.[2]
 | This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is: Section’s last statement mentions only the previous Mexican government’s policy, from over five years ago.. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2025) |
During theVicente Fox administration (2000–2006), both Ministers of Foreign Affairs,Jorge Castañeda Gutman andLuis Ernesto Derbez, tried to discontinue the Estrada Doctrine,[6] resulting in what was called theCastañeda Doctrine. Under PresidentAndrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico began to utilize the Estrada Doctrine once more, especially during the2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis.[7]
Most of the critics of the doctrine were directed toward whether it was morally and politically valid or not that the Mexican government stayed "neutral" in the presence of governments categorized asdictatorships.[1]
Jorge Castañeda Gutman, who would later serve a two-year term as theSecretary of Foreign Affairs during theVicente Fox administration, criticized Mexico's foreign policy in 1987:[8]
In the Mexican foreign policy, it has been continuously claimed the defense of our principles and international law. In accordance to this, then we do not have any interest, we have principles instead, which can be qualified as a diplomatic hypocrisy. In the long term, this unfortunate implementation of the principles undermines any internal support for every real foreign policy (with costs, consequences and benefits) and confers the country an arrogant halo in the international scene.
