Abstract

ZEPEDA GIL, Raúl. Democracy, the Army, and Foreign Policy in Mexico: The Case of the Absence of Mexican Military Personnel from UN Pea cekeeping Operations. Foro int [online]. 2016, vol.56, n.3, pp.633-656. ISSN 0185-013X.

Until 2014, Mexico had refused to send military personnel to UN peacekeeping operations. This paper explains the change in position of the Ministry of Defense, which influenced the decision of the president, through an analysis of the political stakeholders involved using Allison's model of bureaucratic and organizational analysis, and Lindblom's incremental public policy model. The study of Mexico's absence from these operations reveals the changes in the country's foreign policy through changes in the incumbent political party, the rotation of bureaucratic cadres, and the dynamics of relations between civilians -in this case diplomats-and the military.

Keywords : Peacekeeping operations; military-civilian relations; democratic transition; foreign policy; intergovernmental relations.