Ismael Moreno Pino

Ismael Moreno Pino (15 February 1927 – 15 August 2013) was a lawyer, diplomat, scholar, and author recognized for his role in negotiating the Tlatelolco Treaty, which established Latin America as the first inhabited region of the planet free of nuclear weapons. He worked closely with Alfonso García Robles, who later received the Nobel Peace Prize for their joint efforts, and was praised by UN Secretary-General U Thant. As ambassador, he represented Mexico in Germany, the Netherlands, Chile, Venezuela, Peru and the Dominican Republic. He also served as Mexico's representative to the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C. and to the United Nations in New York and Geneva. He was also a member of the administrative council of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. He was the grandson of José María Pino Suárez, the Vice President of Mexico and a key figure in the Mexican Revolution.

Born in Mérida, Yucatán, into a prominent family, he was educated at the American School Foundation in Mexico City. He earned a Law degree from the UNAM and later obtained bachelor's and master's degrees in International Relations from Georgetown University. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1951, working closely with intellectuals such as Octavio Paz and Jorge Castañeda. During the early 1960s, he served as Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs and Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs, helping shape Mexico's position on major Cold War events, such as the Cuban Revolution and the Missile Crisis. As Ambassador to Chile, he witnessed the 1970 presidential election and the challenges faced by the Allende administration. Later, as Ambassador to Germany, he negotiated Mexico's historic decision to recognize East Germany in January 1973, one of the first Latin American countries to do so. This move aligned with Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik and strengthened Mexico's autonomous foreign policy during the Cold War.

In 1982, President López Portillo granted him the title of embajador eminente, a distinction legally reserved for only ten career ambassadors in recognition for their exceptional service. Upon his retirement in 1992, he held the position of doyen of the Mexican Foreign Service. Among his publications, his book Diplomacy: Theoretical and Practical Aspects became a seminal reference for generations of Latin American diplomats.