Story written by CLAS 2026 Autumn intern Sofia Boyd. Sofia is majoring in International Studies and specializing in International Relations & Diplomacy, with a double minor in Linguistics and Spanish.

When naming Mexico’s primary foreign allies, countries like the United States or Brazil first come to mind. As major economic and diplomatic partners, it is obvious why Mexico maintains such strong ties with them. However, what is less straightforward and far more intriguing is the long-term relationship between Mexico and Russia. Its history of harboring Soviet revolutionaries, tolerating KGB espionage and refusing to impose sanctions makes Mexico’s connection to Russia a fascinating topic to explore. 

In order to understand many of Mexico’s policies towards Russia, it is first essential to understand their history of strict diplomatic neutrality. Mexico’s non-interventionist approach is a foundational pillar of its foreign policy, rooted in their own experiences of foreign invasions and colonization. Policies like the Carranza Doctrine, Estrada Doctrine and the Mexican constitution itself, stress the sovereignty and rights to self-determination of every nation. Though sometimes critiqued for applying these policies inconsistently, Mexico still proudly advocates for diplomatic solutions over all else. This means Mexico has maintained relations with Russia when many countries wouldn’t and Russia has benefited from this neutrality more than most.

In 1924 , Mexico became the first country in the Americas to establish relations with the Soviet Union. Though they severed diplomatic ties in 1930, Mexico still played a role in Soviet politics during this time. In 1928, communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky found himself exiled from the very union he was so key in establishing due to tension with Joseph Stalin. After bouncing around Europe, he found asylum in Mexico. He and his family lived with famous artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in Mexico City. This caused great scandal not only because of their communist ideology, but also because of a relationship that developed between Trotsky and Kahlo. This came to an end in 1940 when a Soviet secret agent succeeded in assassinating Trotsky. Two years later, Mexico joined the Allied Powers in World War II, becoming an official ally of the Soviet Union again. This resumed their official diplomatic relations. In 1973, Mexican President Luis Echeverría became the first Mexican head-of-state and non-communist Latin American leader to visit the Soviet Union. 

This relationship between Mexico and the Soviets became more complicated when it began to affect the United States. Throughout the 1980s, the CIA was increasingly concerned about the Soviet embassy in Mexico City. American officials claimed the embassy was a hub for KGB spies and accused Mexico of allowing it. The combination of Mexican neutrality, Russian deception, and American paranoia created a delicate situation. Despite the lack of significant trade or tourism, the Soviet embassy had over 300 employees and Mexico did not impose a limit. US counter-intelligence officers estimated around 150 KGB officers worked out of the embassy and many Americans caught spying for the Soviets admitted they used it to meet contacts and share information. It was clearly Mexico’s proximity to the United States that made the country so valuable to the Soviet agenda. Mexico did not pretend to be ignorant to this. A Mexican senior government official even acknowledged that they “tolerate” the Soviet spying, although they “don't condone it.” In attempts to cooperate and maintain good relations, Mexican officials did record calls from the embassy and provided transcripts to the Americans. This situation exemplifies how Mexico has strategically used its neutral policies to play both sides. It allowed Mexico to maintain strong relations with the Soviet Union, protecting them from potential communist interference from other countries, while not endangering its reliance on American trade. 

The Soviet Union officially dissolved in 1991 and unsurprisingly, Mexico immediately continued diplomatic relations with the new Russian Federation. Throughout the 2000s, Mexico and Russia collaborated on satellite space missions and traded military equipment. In 2017, Mexico established an electronic authorization visa only for Russian, Turkish, and Ukrainian nationals. Today, despite condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine at the UN, Mexico has not imposed any economic sanctions. Moreover, Russian espionage is becoming an increasing concern. In 2022, a celebrated Mexican scientist was charged by the United States for spying for the Russian intelligence services. Russia also added 36 more diplomats to their Mexico City embassy which was critiqued by US diplomats like John Feeley who felt, “The economic, cultural or social relationships between Mexico City and Moscow do not merit such a large increase.”  So despite Russia’s increasingly controversial actions, Mexico is clearly willing to prioritize their strong diplomatic relations. 

This long history of friendship between Russia and Mexico raises the question: why? What do these nations get out of a relationship with little economic benefit or shared ideology? While there is no obvious answer, it comes down to what Russia can get out of Mexico. Mexico offers this same neutral acceptance to every country. Russia just took advantage of it more than others. Mexico’s proximity to the United States, a long-term Russian rival, made it a very attractive ally. And surely having the goodwill of a major global power like Russia only encourages Mexico’s continued alliance. Based on this history, it can be reliably expected that Russia and Mexico will maintain relations for the foreseeable future.