El Chamizal marks 59th anniversary of territory transfer

Authorities from Ciudad Juárez, El Paso, and Las Cruces gathered to commemorate the 59th anniversary of the physical transfer of El Chamizal from the United States to Mexico. The ceremony was led by Ciudad Juárez Mayor Héctor Rafael Ortiz Orpinel.

The territorial dispute originated in 1864 when a shift in the Rio Grande's course placed Mexican lands on the U.S. side. While an international tribunal recognized part of the Mexican claim in 1911, the final resolution required decades of diplomacy. Following agreements between Presidents Adolfo López Mateos and John F. Kennedy in 1962, and the signing of the El Chamizal Convention in 1963, the formal transfer was completed on October 28, 1967, under Presidents Gustavo Díaz Ordaz and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Mayor Ortiz Orpinel noted that the resolution serves as an example of defending national sovereignty through international law and diplomatic negotiation. He also emphasized the deep economic, cultural, and familial ties between the Ciudad Juárez and El Paso regions, describing them as “one single region with two flags.”