Paper short abstract:

Resource nationalism in Mexico has deep historical roots. The oil expropriation of 1938 was a key element to construct a new national identity. However resource nationalism seems to be an obstacle for the goals of the general law of climate change.

Paper long abstract:

The use of fossil fuels has been linked to climate change. Mexico is particularly vulnerable to climate change, due to its ecosystem diversity and geographical location For Mexico; oil not only represents a main source of income, but also a symbol of national identity. In 2012 the Mexican government decreed the general law of climate change, which proposed a set of objectives to help mitigate climate change, such as, reduction of greenhouse gases and improving the cost-efficiency relationship in the energy sector. However the success of this law may be challenged by resource nationalism in Mexico. Resource nationalism seems to pose an obstacle to reform the energy sector. The Mexican energy sector appears to be governed by inertia and tradition. Since the oil expropriation in 1938, oil represents a symbol of national union and sovereignty. The oil expropriation was a key element to legitimate a new political regime and to construct a new national identity. After the oil expropriation the nation shared the idea of the need to protect oil from external intervention. In this paper I will discuss the institutionalisation of resource nationalism and its role in the construction of a national identity.