International politics beyond the usual channels: A president writes to a people other than his own

Abstract

In this study, I analyse an exceptional case of international political communication, in which the President of one nation writes directly to the people of another, outside the normal diplomatic channels. I study two missives addressed by Cuban President Fidel Castro to the Mexican people during a situation of conflict between their two countries. They take the form of letters published through the Mexican press. After analysing the context in which Castro’s letters appear, I examine the main discursive characteristics of the texts. The analysis includes speech acts, modality and the persons mentioned in the text. My findings reveal the political intent of these messages: to influence the Mexican political agenda, repositioning Cuba both with respect to the Mexican authorities and leftist politics in Latin America.