El Chamizal: A Century-Long Border Dispute
Hosted by Pamela Espinosa
Hello, I'm Pamela Espinosa, and today we're diving into the fascinating story of El Chamizal - a piece of land that sparked over 100 years of dispute between the United States and Mexico.
The Origins
Our story begins in 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo established the Rio Grande as the border between the US and Mexico. But nature had other plans...
The Rio Grande, like many rivers, naturally shifted its course over time. By 1864, these shifts had moved about 600 acres of land - known as El Chamizal - from the Mexican side of the river to the US side.
The Dispute Begins
Mexico argued that the border should follow the original path of the river, keeping El Chamizal as Mexican territory. The US, however, claimed that the new course of the river should mark the border, making El Chamizal part of Texas.
This disagreement led to a century of diplomatic tension between the two nations.
Failed Attempts at Resolution
In 1911, an international arbitration commission ruled in favor of Mexico. However, the US rejected this decision, and the dispute continued.
For decades, El Chamizal became a symbol of national pride for Mexico and a thorny issue in US-Mexico relations.
The Chamizal Convention
Finally, in 1963, President John F. Kennedy and President Adolfo López Mateos reached an agreement. The Chamizal Convention divided the disputed land:

Mexico received 437 acres
The US kept 193 acres
A concrete channel was built to prevent future changes in the river's course

Resolution and Legacy
In 1967, Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Gustavo Díaz Ordaz met on the bridge between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez to exchange flags and officially end the dispute.
Today, El Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso and Parque Público Federal El Chamizal in Ciudad Juárez stand as symbols of international cooperation and peaceful conflict resolution.
The story of El Chamizal reminds us that even the most complex and long-standing disputes can be resolved through diplomacy, patience, and mutual understanding.
Thank you for joining me on this journey through a unique chapter in US-Mexico relations. I'm Pamela Espinosa, and this has been the story of El Chamizal.