The Franco-Mexican Declaration on El Salvador

In 1981, the governments of Mexico and France delivered the Franco-Mexican Declaration on El Salvador, in which they recognized insurgent groups, the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front and the Democratic Revolutionary Front, as representative political forces. From this point forth, much discussion has taken place on the reason and the purpose behind this Declaration and, more importantly, on its interventionist nature, or otherwise, and what it meant in terms of Mexican foreign policy. Ana Covarrubias pinpoints arguments to explain the Declaration’s formulation, including the reasons of one of its main proponents, Gustavo Iruegas, and its objectives. Furthermore, she proceeds to analyze its outcomes, as she draws a distinction between Mexican isolation in the region and the positive reaction of groups opposing the Salvadorian government. She argues how this was an interventionist declaration that responded to what was then identified as the Mexican interest, further maintaining that it did not achieve its purposes in terms of negotiations between the government and Salvadorian guerrilla groups and influencing a change in United States policy towards the conflict. Nevertheless, the author explains that the declaration clearly reflects how Mexican state officials understood the situation in Central America.