Mexico and the Sovereignty of the Cuckold

Published in La Cronica de Hoy
(Mexico) on 25 January 2026
by Rafael Cardona (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Patricia Simoni. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.
One of the most recurrent expressions in presidential discourse is “respect for national sovereignty.” But the vagueness of this concept makes debatable the nationalist merit of stubbornly defending something so vague, imprecise and frequently contradictory, to say the least.

The word “sovereignty” — quite jarring in light of the facts — has significantly changed meaning over the years. Today, it has been complemented, if not replaced in practice, by another rather convenient and misleading phrase: cooperation without submission.

Under this veil of imaginary equality, the government conceals its motives and justifies its actions. For example, take the case of the great military Hercules aircraft landing in Toluca. The U.S. explained its presence by portraying it as the Uber of military training, justified by the relative reciprocity of a future deployment of Mexican aircraft that will pick up people training in Florida for several months.

However, none of this alters this perception that, like the cuckolded husband, Mexico will find out in the end. And if the one who is being cheated on is not the government, it is the citizens.

A very recent and similar example is the mysterious visit of FBI Director Kash Patel. The FBI, as its name suggests, has jurisdiction in the federal territories of the United States. And as far as we know, Mexico is not included in that category — except when it twists the government's arm and, with infinite power, pushes it (every day) against the wall. The CIA, whose planes fly over us, operates abroad.

Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch candidly recounted his exemplary sense of subordinate collaboration, a new form of much-vaunted national sovereignty, by saying, "The FBI director left today (yesterday) for the United States, taking with him two priority targets: a non-American person of the 10 most wanted by the FBI who was arrested by Mexican authorities and a Canadian citizen who turned himself in yesterday (Thursday) at the United States Embassy ... during the meetings with the director of the FBI and Ambassador Johnson, the increase in coordinated operations for the arrest of generators of violence and priority targets that impact both countries was recognized … It was agreed that the coordinated work for the benefit of both nations be continued, with full respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Obviously the ancient concept of territorial integrity does not inhibit the direct action of foreign forces on national soil (Wow, what a beautiful phrase!) nor the training of our soldiers abroad. We never knew that Patel was dispatched here.

Under the guise of sovereignty, there are no less than 100 treaties and foreign agencies that present enormous advantages for Americans: water, drugs, emigration, investments, trade and even the sale of beachfront property.

A country malleable to its whims and fancies.

“At your command, boss!” as Cantinflas would have said.*


*Translator’s note: Cantinflas was a Mexican comedian, actor and filmmaker.


Una de las más recurrentes expresiones en el discurso presidencial es el respeto a la soberanía nacional. Pero lo difuso de ese concepto hace, al menos, discutible el mérito nacionalista en la terca defensa de algo vago, impreciso y con frecuencia contradictorio.

La palabra soberanía --bastante chocante a la luz de los hechos-- ha cambiado notablemente de significado con el paso de los años. En la actualidad ha sido complementada, cuando no sustituida en la práctica, por otra bastante conveniente y encubridora: cooperación sin sumisión.

Bajo ese telón de imaginaria igualdad el gobierno oculta motivos y justifica conductas. Por ejemplo, en el caso del gran Hércules militar de Toluca cuya presencia fue explicada convirtiéndolo en el Uber de la capacitación militar en los Estados Unidos y justificada en la relativa reciprocidad de un futuro envío de aeronaves mexicanas a recoger a quienes por varios meses se capacitarán en Florida.

Sin embargo, todo esto no altera una percepción: como el marido cornudo, México se entera al final. Y si el coronado no es el gobierno, sí lo es el ciudadano.

Un ejemplo muy cercano es la misteriosa visita del director del FBI, Kash Patel. La Oficina --buró-- Federal de Investigaciones de los Estados Unidos, como su nombre indica tiene jurisdicción en las demarcaciones federadas de la Unión Americana. Y hasta donde soberanamente sabemos, México no está comprendido en esa categoría, excepto cuando le tuercen la mano al gobierno y con infinito poder, lo empujan (todos los días) contra la pared. La CIA, cuyos aviones nos sobrevuelan, actúa en el exterior.

El secretario de Seguridad, Omar García, hace un candoroso relato de su ejemplar sentido de la colaboración subordinada, nueva forma de la cacareada soberanía nacional:
“…El director del FBI partió hoy (ayer) rumbo a los Estados Unidos, llevando consigo a dos objetivos prioritarios: una persona no estadounidense que fue detenida por autoridades mexicanas de los 10 más buscados por el FBI y un ciudadano canadiense que se entregó voluntariamente ayer (jueves) en la Embajada de los Estados Unidos…durante los encuentros con el director del FBI y el Embajador Johnson se reconoció el aumento de las operaciones coordinadas para la detención de generadores de violencia y de objetivos prioritarios que impactan a ambos países.

“Se acordó continuar el trabajo coordinado en beneficio de ambas naciones, con pleno respeto a la soberanía y la integridad territorial”.

Obviamente el antañón concepto de integridad territorial no suprime la acción directa de fuerzas extranjeras en el suelo patrio (órale, que bonita frase) ni la educación de nuestros soldados en el extranjero. Nunca supimos que Kash Patel despachaba aquí.

Bajo el imaginario paraguas de la soberanía, aquí apenas tenemos un centenar de tratados y agencias foráneas, con enormes ventajas para los estadunidenses. Para el agua, las drogas, la emigración, las inversiones, el comercio y hasta la venta de terrenos en las playas.

Un país dúctil a su gusto y capricho. Ssssordenes, jefe, habría dicho Cantinflas…
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