Interesting Facts about the Mexican Constitution

A constitution is a nation's cornerstone that sets out all the basic laws and constructs. It also provides citizens with guarantees, detailing their rights and duties. Mexico is no exception here. Below are some articles of the Mexican Constitution that I found enlightening.

Article 2. Slavery is forbidden in the United Mexican States. Slaves who enter national territory from abroad shall, by this act alone, recover their freedom and enjoy the protection afforded by the laws.

Article 12. No titles of nobility, or hereditary or prerogatives or honors shall be granted in the United Mexican States, nor shall any effect be given to those granted by other countries.

Article 22. Punishment by mutilation and infamy, branding, flogging, beating with sticks, torture of any kind, excessive fines, confiscation of property and any other unusual or extreme penalties are prohibited.

Article 27. Only Mexicans by birth or naturalization and Mexican companies have the right to acquire ownership of lands, waters, and their appurtenances, or to obtain concessions for the exploitation of mines or of waters. The State may grant the same right to foreigners, provided they agree before the Ministry of Foreign Relations to consider themselves as nationals in respect to such property, and bind themselves not to invoke the protection of their governments in matters relating hereto; under penalty, in case of noncompliance with this agreement, of forfeiture of the property acquired to the Nation. Under no circumstances may foreigners acquire direct ownership of lands or waters within a zone of one hundred kilometers along the frontiers and of fifty kilometers along the shores of the country.

Article 30. Mexicans by birth are:

I. Those born in the territory of the Republic, regardless of the nationality of their parents:

II. Those born in a foreign country of Mexican parents; of a Mexican father and a foreign mother; or of a Mexican mother and an unknown father;

III. Those born on Mexican vessels or airships, either war or merchant vessels.

B. Mexicans by naturalization are:

I. Foreigners who obtain letters of naturalization from the Secretariat of Foreign Relations;

II. A foreign woman who marries a Mexican man and has or establishes her domicile within the national territory.

Article 34. Men and women who, having the status of Mexicans, likewise meet the following requirements are citizens of the Republic:

I. Having reached eighteen years of age, if married, or twenty-one years of age if unmarried;

II. Having an honest means of livelihood.

Article 82. In order to be President it is required:

I. To be a Mexican citizen by birth, in the full enjoyment of his rights, and the son of Mexican parents by birth.

II. To have attained 35 years of age at the time of the election.

III. To have resided in the country during the entire year prior to the day of the election.

IV. Not to possess ecclesiastic status nor be a minister of any cult.

V. Not to be in active service, in case of belonging to the army, within six months prior to the day of the election.(35)

VI. Not to be a Secretary or Subsecretary of State, chief or secretary general of an administrative department, Attorney General of the Republic, nor the governor of any State or Territory, unless he shall have resigned such position six months prior

to the day of the election.

VII. Not to be included within any of the grounds for incapacity indicated in Article 83.

Article 125. No individual may fill two popularly elected federal offices at the same time, nor one federal and one state office, also by popular election; but an elected candidate may choose which of the two he desires to hold.