Ismael Moreno Pino

Ismael Moreno Pino (15 February 1927 – 15 August 2013) was a Mexican lawyer, diplomat, scholar and author who served as Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador of Mexico and is widely recognized as a prominent multilateralist and expert in inter-American relations. After the Cuban Missile Crisis which brought the world to the brink of nuclear war, he helped negotiate the Treaty of Tlatelolco (1967), which established Latin America and the Caribbean as the first nuclear-weapon-free zone in a populated part of the Earth. Collaborating closely with Alfonso García Robles, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1982, their efforts were recognized by U Thant, Secretary-General of the United Nations at the time, for their historical significance in preventing nuclear proliferation and halting the arms race.

He was born in Mérida, Yucatán, into the Pino-Cámara family. Notably, his maternal grandfather, José María Pino Suárez was a leader in the Mexican Revolution and served as Vice-President of Mexico from 1911 until his assassination in 1913 during the Ten Tragic Days. He was educated at the American School Foundation, studied Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and he obtained a Master of Science in Foreign Service degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

He joined the Foreign Office in 1952 and worked closely with intellectuals such as Jorge Castañeda and Octavio Paz, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1990. Serving as Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs and later as Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs, he actively participated in shaping Mexico's response to significant geopolitical events during the Cold War such as the Cuban Revolution (1959), the Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961), and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962). Notably, his involvement in the Punta del Este conference (1962), which decided against expelling Cuba from the Organization of American States, showcased Mexico's commitment to non-interventionism based on the Estrada Doctrine.

In 1965, Moreno Pino assumed the role of Mexican Ambassador to Chile. During his seven-year tenure, he experienced significant political events, including the 1970 Chilean presidential election and the subsequent challenges faced by Salvador Allende's government in a country where international tensions between the Soviet bloc and the capitalist bloc were at their peak. Even in this context, Moreno Pino maintained close diplomatic relations between Mexico and Chile. Additionally, he held the position of dean of the diplomatic corps, representing the Ambassadors of other countries before the Chilean government and witnessing many of the events that led to the overthrow of Allende in the 1973 coup d'état.

He served as Ambassador of Mexico between 1964 and 1992, representing his country in Germany, Kingdom of the Netherlands, various Latin American countries, as well as in international organizations such as the OAS in Washington, D.C. and the UN offices in New York and Geneva, Switzerland. Additionally, he was a member of the administrative council of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. In 1982, President José López Portillo appointed him an Eminent Ambassador (Embajador Eminente), a special honor reserved for only ten Ambassadors who have rendered distinguished service to the Republic in foreign policy matters; his expertise and guidance were highly valued by numerous Mexican administrations, including multiple Presidents and Foreign Secretaries. As a writer, he is especially remembered for his work Diplomacy:Theoretical and Practical Aspects (1996), a major treatise in its field which has educated generations of diplomats.