Los rostros de Jano: vigilancia y control de los exiliados latinoamericanos en México (1960-1980)

Abstract

 In Mexico, a widespread opinion emphasizes that the generous reception of Latin American political exiles during the 1960s and 1970s is one of two faces of a Janus-like political system that left little room for opposition or dissent. The first of these faces looked towards the international sphere, respectful of nations’ sovereignty and condemning all forms of foreign intervention; while the other, less friendly face looked inward. It was the face of the authoritarian Mexico willing to repress the actions of leftist op-ponents. This text interrogates this paradox through the study of the Mexican intelligence services in charge of monitoring and controlling the activities of Latin American exiles in the country. To that end, I reconstruct the political purpose, the mechanisms, and strategies implemented to control and surveil the exiles’ political action. I seek to show that, rather than form a paradox, the reception of political exiles exercised functions that legitimated political power through a complex articulation of foreign and domestic policy.