Mexico - Flag laws

Last modified: 2002-12-07 by juan manuel gabino villasc�n
Keywords: carranza (venustiano) | mexico | d�az (porfirio) | eagle (brown) |
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by Juan Manuel Gabino Villasc�n, August 31, 2001

• 1934 Flag law
• 1968 Flag law
• 1984 Flag law
  1983 Flag law proposal
  1995 modifications on the 1984 Flag Law

• Mexico - General index
• Mexico

It is adopted as draft of the National Coat of Arms for their several uses, that carefully auntentified with the signatures of the President of the Republic, of the President of the "Comisi�n Permanente" of the Congress of the Union, of the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, and those of the citizens Secretaries of State, and sent to the Archivo General de la Naci�n (General Archive of the Nation), and to the National Museum of Archeology, History and Ethnology. A draft for coins and medals, shall be delivered to the "Casa de la Moneda".

This Coat of Arms, it its respective drafts shall be the only to be used on flags, coins, medals, and official correspondence of the whole country, as soon as the shield of the Embassies, legations, and consulates abroad.

All copies did not correspond to the adopted models shall be forbiden according to the present decree.

Juan Manuel Gabino Villasc�n, July 25, 2001

Diario Oficial de la Federaci�n
S�bado, 17 de agosto de 1968
PODER EJECUTIVO
SECRETARIA DE GOBERNACION

DECRETO

El Congreso de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos decreta:
<...>

Cap�tulo Tercero
De la Bandera Nacional

Art�culo 8. - La Bandera Nacional se caracteriza por un rect�ngulo dividido en tres franjas verticales de medidas id�nticas, con los colores en el siguiente orden a partir del asta: verde, blanco y rojo (sic) El 8 de Febrero de 1984 el Presidente Miguel de la Madrid present� al Congreso una nueva ley que entr� en vigor el 24 de febrero de ese mismo a�o y, por decreto, publicado en el Diario Oficial de la Federaci�n el 9 de Mayo de 1996.

Cap�tulo Segundo
De las caracter�sticas de los S�mbolos Patrios

Art�culo 3. - La Bandera Nacional se caracteriza por un rect�ngulo dividido en tres franjas verticales de medidas id�nticas, con los colores en el siguiente orden a partir del asta: verde, blanco y rojo.

According to this web site, the most recent flag law is that of December 29th, 1983, issued under President Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado.
Santiago Dotor, 29 Dec 1998

The current Act, approved on February 24th 1984, contains a serious effort to order and pinpoint concepts to regulate both the characteristics and the adequate and respectful use of the national coat-of-arms, flag and anthem. However, some aspects necessary to that aim were not adequately contemplated.

Article 2 describes the coat-of-arms, considering the lefthand profile of the eagle alone, with its left talon on the nopal and holding with the right one and its beak a serpent.

However, Article 2 does not contemplate the customary use of the coat-of-arms on the reverse of the flag: the righthand profile of the eagle with its right talon on the nopal and holding with the left one the serpent. Thus offending article 5 of the same Act, which states that "all reproductions of the national coat-of-arms shall match faithfully the model described in article 2".

This is clearly visible in the set of two flags which cover the back wall of (...) this Chamber of Deputies.

We propose to incorporate a second paragraph to article 2:

"When the national coat-of-arms appears on the reverse of the national flag, the Mexican eagle will show its righthand profile, perched on its left talon, holding the curved serpent with the right talon and its beak."

The presidential band (sash) was carried correctly according to the said [Flag] Act up to -and including- Pres. General Alvaro Obreg�n. Afterwards, the band has been worn with green on the right side [aka. sinister?] of the band and the coat-of-arms facing the red.

This is because article 34 of the respective [?] Act wrongly indicates that "green should appear on the top stripe". This mistake should be corrected so that the presidential band to be used on December 1st 1994 when the new President takes office is appropriately made and worn. We thus propose a change to article 34 so that it reads "red should appear on the top stripe".

It is also necessary to add an article to the Act which allows for a respectful destruction of flags. We propose that incineration is established as the sole [legal] method of destruction.

Such incineration shall be done "with solemnity and respect, in presence of at least three Mexican citizens".

Abel Vicencio �lvarez, July 19, 1999.
Reported by Luis Havas, and translanted by Santiago Dotor, October 22, 1999.

Those law initiatives were discussed and passed by the Mexican Parliament, and were published Diario Oficial de la Federaci�n (DOF) of February 8, 1984, abrogating the previous law apprved on Dec. 23, 1967 and published in the DOF on August 17, 1968.
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villasc�n, April 20, 2001

The decree issued on May 9, 1995 modifies the articles 2, 18, and 55 ... of the last Flag Law issued in DOF on February 9, 1991, states how the Coat of arms should be reproduced on the reverse side: From article 2 of the mentioned decree:

The National Coat of Arms is featured by an Mexican eagle exposing its left profile, the upper part of the wings in a level higher than plume and slightly displayed in a battle attitude; with the sustenation plumage downwards touching to the tail whose feathers are arranged in natural fan. It puts its left grasp on a bloomed nopal that is born in a rock that emerges from a lake. It is grasping with the right grasp and the beack, in attitude of eat, a curved serpent, so that it harmonizes with the whole. Several "pencas" of the nopal grow to the sides. Two branches, one of encino to the front of the eagle and another one of laurel opposed, form a lower semicircle and they are united by a ribbon divided in three strips that, when the National Coat of Arms is represented in natural colors, correspond to those of the National flag.

When the National Shield reproduces in the reverse side of the National Flag, the Mexican Eagle will appear standing in its right grasp, holding with the left one and the beack the curved serpent.

When it is required to destroy some copy of the National flag, it will be done by means of the incineration, in respectful and solemn act, in accordance with the specifications that the corresponding regulation determines.

Source:
Decreto por el que se reforman los art�culo 2o, 18 y 55, y se adicionan los art�culos 54 Bis,... de la ley sobre el Escudo, la Bandera y el Himno Nacionales
Issued in DOF on May 9, 1995.