National Park Serivce Chamizal U.S. Department of the Interior Chamizal National Memorial

The Chamizal Convention (Treaty) of 1964

The right presidents, the right diplomats, the right Boundary Commissioners, and the right attitudes of the two cities made it [the Chamizal Convention of 1964] possible – Nestor Valencia, Chief Planner for the City of El Paso in the 1960s

In the early 1960s the Chamizal American Presidents John Fitzgerald dispute, which involved both the Kennedy (JFK) and Lyndon Baines Chamizal tract and Cordova Island, Johnson (LBJ); U.S. Department of had reached nearly 100 years with State Ambassador to Mexico Thomas no resolution. The Chamizal tract Mann; and the two commissioners was originally a Mexican tract of of the International Boundary and land that bordered the Rio Grande. A Water Commission (IBWC), Joseph huge flood in 1864 altered the course Friedkin of the U.S. Sector and David of the Rio Grande and thus altered Herrera Jordan of the Mexican Sector, the Chamizal tract—it went from respectively. being exclusively on the Mexican side to being exclusively on the U.S. The beginning of the end of the side of the river. Did the U.S. own Chamizal dispute came in 1962 when the Chamizal tract or did Mexico? President López Mateos of Mexico This question was a chronic thorn asked President Kennedy to meet in the relationship between the two with him in Mexico City. JFK agreed countries. and flew down to Mexico’s sprawling capital. The presidents discussed Meanwhile, Cordova Island was many things but specifically they essentially a Mexican enclave inside discussed Cold War politics. Indeed, the U.S. It was a Mexican piece of the 1960s was the heart of the Cold land surrounded on three sides by the War era, a time when the Soviet Union United States. Cordova Island was and the United States were fighting covered in desert shrubs and did not each other in every way except direct have a definitive international border. warfare. This was a time when the As a result, the island was a “no man’s two superpowers were challenging land”; drug traffic, illegal immigration, each other economically, politically, booze, and blood were the signatures militarily, and ideologically. Regarding of the island. However, the Chamizal military, politics, and economy, it was Convention (treaty) of 1964 finally like the U.S. and the Soviet Union ended the Chamizal tract and were playing a game of chess in which Cordova Island conflicts. This essay they kept moving their pieces across will discuss how the Chamizal dispute the world game board but never put (the term given to the Chamizal their king in checkmate. Ideologically, tract and Cordova Island problems to be blunt, it was U.S. “democracy” collectively) was resolved. versus Soviet Union “communism.” Many government officials as well Mexico is the United States’ large as regular citizens from both nations southern neighbor; for Mexico to turn The flags of the United States and Mexico helped to make the Chamizal fly high at Chamizal National Memorial. The communist would be a direct threat two nations came together in 1964 and Convention of 1964 a reality. Six key to U.S. national security. JFK went peacefully settled their century-long border players in the Chamizal Convention down to visit the Mexican president dispute. of 1964 are as follows: Mexican to improve relations between the two NPS Photo President Adolfo López Mateos; countries and ultimately make sure Chamizal dispute started, but it was Perhaps one of the finest moments in a Mexican-Soviet alliance did not LBJ and the people that worked with the history of Mexico-United States form. President López Mateos told him on both sides of the border that relations was when the two presidents Kennedy that if the U.S. President finished the resolution. met in the middle of the international really wanted to make things better bridge. They walked up to each other between the U.S. and Mexico, then In July of 1963 U.S. Ambassador and shook hands—a common symbol the two countries needed to figure Thomas Mann and Mexican Foreign of peace, friendship, and goodwill. out a solution to the old Chamizal Minister Manuel Tello signed the dispute. The presidents made an Chamizal Convention in Mexico agreement: the Chamizal dispute must City. The convention then went to be peacefully settled, now. Washington D.C. where in January of 1964 LBJ signed it. In April, the U.S. Immediately, IBWC Commissioners Senate and House of Representatives David Herrera Jordan of Mexico and passed Public Law 88-300, the Joseph Friedkin of the U.S. began “Chamizal Convention Act.” working “very hard to come up with an agreement [on the Chamizal On September 25, 1964 (Chamizal dispute] that both sides would agree Day) Presidents Lyndon Baines on” (Nestor Valencia, Interview with Johnson and Adolfo López Mateos Michelle Gomilla, Chamizal Oral met in the middle of El Paso-Ciudad History Project, UTEP, March 8 Juarez to officially approve the and April 20, 1994). In fact, Jordan, Chamizal Convention of 1964. Large Friedkin and the IBWC officials portions of the cities shut down working under them were the ones to celebrate the end of the border that created, wrote, and finalized the dispute and to catch a glimpse of Chamizal Convention. the two world leaders. Schools were let out and government offices and We’ve briefly discussed four of businesses were closed. Two hundred the six key players in the Chamizal and fifty thousand people turned out Convention, leaving us with Thomas to see, meet, and greet the presidents, Mann and President Johnson. the largest crowd in the history of El When JFK was asked to meet the Paso-Ciudad Juarez. Perhaps one of Mexican President in Mexico City, the finest moments in the history of he really didn’t know much about Mexico-United States relations was the Chamizal dispute and its history when the two presidents met in the and drama. Kennedy called on U.S. middle of the international bridge. Ambassador to Mexico Thomas They walked up to each other and Mann to enlighten him on the subject. shook hands—a common symbol Mann was extremely educated on of peace, friendship, and goodwill. the Chamizal dispute as he had At this moment, the Chamizal held various positions in the U.S. Convention of 1964 became a Department of State Latin America reality, and the Chamizal dispute was Sector since 1943. Moreover, Mann resolved after 100 years of conflict. had taken several trips to El Paso in the 1950s with the primary goal of The Chamizal Convention of resolving the Chamizal dispute. 1964 enabled a number of things to happen. First and foremost, What about LBJ? Tragically, while the convention gave the Chamizal driving through downtown Dallas tract back to Mexico. The land that in his motorcade in 1963, JFK was Mexico was awarded by law in the assassinated. JFK’s Vice President, Arbitration of 1911 but that the U.S. Lyndon Baines Johnson, became settled anyway was finally going President of the United States of back to Mexico. The 5,600 U.S. residents living on the Chamizal tract Presidents Lyndon Baines Johnson and Adolfo America. Johnson swore that he López Mateos of Mexico shake hands on the would continue the policies of had to relocate (for more on this, middle of the international bridge between El Kennedy. And so, it was during JFK’s read the essay entitled “Chamizal Paso and Ciudad Juarez, September 25, 1964. tenure that the resolution of the Residents”). Second, the Rio Grande NPS Photo was cemented through the El Paso- Ciudad Juarez area so that the the Chamizal Convention of 1964 is Dozens of wars have been fought and international border would be well significant in that it settled a century- thousands of lives lost due to border defined and permanently unchanging. long border dispute through peaceful disputes between two countries, but negotiation and diplomacy. The fact Third, weird Cordova Island became the Chamizal Convention of 1964 is that these two countries, who often less weird. Both countries agreed significant in that it settled a century- see things differently, were able to that it was a little bit odd to have a long border dispute through peaceful see eye-to-eye on the issues of the Mexican tract of land surrounded negotiation and diplomacy. Chamizal dispute, after so long, is on three sides by the U.S. The unique. convention cut Cordova Island so that the new cemented channel of Finally, the Chamizal Convention the Rio Grande would go through of 1964 called for the creation and the upper half. In doing this, Mexico establishment of a “peace park” gave to the U.S. roughly 200 acres of in order to celebrate goodwill, the northern portion of the island. understanding, diplomacy, and To compensate for Mexico losing 200 cooperation between the United acres of Cordova Island, Mexico was States of America and the United given 200 acres downriver. Cordova States of Mexico. This “peace park” Island had been a hotbed of drug came under the administration of traffic, illegal immigration, alcohol, the National Park Service and was and violence, but now it had a well established as Chamizal National defined border—the cemented Rio Memorial. Today, Chamizal National Grande—which meant better control Memorial acts a cultural center, and stability. celebrating the culture, history, Fourth, the Chamizal Convention and heritage of the U.S.-Mexico of 1964 improved the relationship Borderland. between the United States and When these two nations solved Mexico. Dozens of wars have been their differences through peaceful fought and thousands of lives lost diplomacy, they set an example due to border disputes between two for the rest of the world to follow. countries (Alsace-Lorraine, Israel- Let’s promote diplomacy, peace, Palestine, Ethiopia-Somalia, and friendship, and understanding Russia-Georgia to name a few), but throughout the world for tomorrow by promoting these ideas today.

El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua (Mexico). Note: the Relocated River Channel indicates the International Border established by the Chamizal Convention of 1964 NPS Photo