Whoever Governs Mexico Must Answer to Mexico's Interests

Fuerza Migrante's position on the dual nationality reform

Washington, D.C., September 25, 2026. Fuerza Migrante recognizes the right and the responsibility of the Mexican state to protect its sovereignty and to set strict requirements for those who hold the highest public offices.

The dual nationality reform starts from a principle we share: whoever governs Mexico must answer to Mexico's interests. The difference lies in how that is guaranteed.

In our view, holding another nationality does not, in itself, show that a person has interests contrary to the country. A single nationality does not guarantee a single loyalty, just as dual nationality does not prove a divided one.

The loyalty of those who govern is not determined by nationality alone. Potential conflicts of interest can lie in their businesses, assets, funding, political relationships, or ties to foreign governments and interests. Those risks can exist in a person with one nationality just as much as in someone with two.

That is why we hold to a fundamental distinction: nationality and conflict of interest are not the same thing. The Mexican Constitution already recognizes this. Article 32 provides that the law must regulate how Mexicans who hold another nationality exercise their rights, and set rules to prevent conflicts arising from that status.

Nor did the recognition of dual nationality come about by chance. The 1997 constitutional reform responded, in large part, to the reality of millions of Mexicans who had emigrated and needed to acquire another nationality to fully exercise their rights in the country where they lived, without losing their Mexican nationality.

For millions of Mexican immigrants, becoming a citizen of another country meant being able to vote, take part, work, and fully exercise their rights in the place where they built a life. It did not mean they stopped being Mexican.

There is another element that must be part of this discussion: whoever holds the Presidency or a governorship does not govern only for those who live within Mexico's borders. They also represent Mexican citizens living outside Mexico, many of them dual nationals, who keep rights, families, property, and economic, social, and cultural ties with the country.

The reform approved by Mexico's Chamber of Deputies makes sole Mexican nationality a requirement to run for President, governor, and Head of Government of Mexico City. The bill is still moving through the legislative process. The debate, however, is already spreading.

In Tamaulipas, the president of the state Congress's Governing Board said lawmakers are considering extending a similar requirement to mayors and state legislators. For now, this is a possibility under study, not a provision in force.

This proposal makes it necessary to ask how far this standard should go before it is extended to other elected offices.

Fuerza Migrante is not taking this position to defend candidates, parties, or individuals who might have an electoral stake in the issue.

Nor do we question the Mexican state's authority to set special requirements for those who carry certain responsibilities.

What we are saying is that dual nationality must not automatically become a presumption of lesser loyalty, lesser commitment, or being any less Mexican.

If the goal is to prevent foreign interests from influencing those who hold power, Mexico needs more effective mechanisms to identify those interests where they actually exist.

And before extending restrictions to other public offices, we believe it is essential to hear from the Mexicans who live this binational reality.

For decades, Mexico has called on its citizens abroad to keep their ties to the country, to take part, vote, invest, and contribute to the development of their home communities.

It would be inconsistent to value that participation while assuming that a second nationality, on its own, casts doubt on their commitment to Mexico.

Mexico must protect its sovereignty with clear rules and effective oversight, not with presumptions about its citizens' loyalty. Millions of Mexicans built a life in another country without ceasing to belong to Mexico. Today, their binational experience is part of the country's reality.

The challenge is not deciding who is more Mexican. It is setting standards that protect Mexico without disregarding the Mexico that also exists beyond its borders.