2021 El Norte status referendums
The 2021 El Norte status referendums are a number of scheduled, related referendums to be held in the Sierran territories of Pacífico Norte and Pacífico Sur, and the crown dependencies of Mérida and Cancún, known collectively as El Norte. The referendums will ask voters of each respective territory and crown dependency on whether any or all four seek to constitute a fourth constituent country of the Kingdom of Sierra in a process of devolution. The proposed name of such country would be Baja. The referendums are controlled by the 2019 El Norte Devolution Act, which established a commission representing the four governments of El Norte, for the purpose of coordinating and planning the referendums, as well as the potential devolution if the referendums succeed. The referendums will be held concurrently in each polity on 13 January 2021.
Background
El Norte consists of four Sierran territories and crown dependencies which cover the Baja California peninsula and the historical Mexican region of Sonora (which had also been briefly independent as the Republic of Sonora during the 19th century), as well as the Caribbean cities of Mérida and Cancún. The former were captured territories during the Mexican–American War, while the latter were acquired as concessions during the Mesoamerican War. The legitimacy of Sierra's holdings in El Norte have intermittently been challenged by Mexico and serves as the basis for the contemporary territorial dispute between the two sovereign nations. The El Norte polities have remained Spanish-speaking majorities since their acquisitions, and have maintained distinct cultures, politics, and identities from Sierra. Since the 1990s, alternatives to the status quo as territories have gained traction, including independence, reunification with Mexico, joining the Kingdom as provinces, and devolution.
Referendums
2021 Cancún status referendum
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| Location | Cancún | |
|---|---|---|
| Should Cancún continue its current crown dependency status? | ||
| Should Cancún confederate with the other El Norte territories as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Sierra? | ||
Cancún is one of the two crown dependencies in the Kingdom of Sierra and comprises the City of Cancún, as well as the historical Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The city and surrounding vicinity were transferred to Sierra by the Mexican government in 1936, and were briefly occupied between 1942 and 1944 by the United Commonwealth. After the war concluded, the territory was returned to Sierra and it was granted crown dependency status in 2004 after it was reclassified as a duchy.
Throughout Cancún's history, it has been dominated by a two-party system between the Democratic Civic Party (PCD) and the Liberal Unionist Party (PUL). The former supported maintaining the status quo while the latter supported either provincehood or devolution. A third party, known as the Anti-Imperialist Party, supported either independence or reunification with Mexico. During the early 21st-century, the Liberal Unionist Party continued supporting provincehood, while the Democratic Civic Party shifted its position towards devolution. In 2017, the ruling Democratic Civic Party held a non-binding referendum on the crown dependency's options, of which more than 80% of voters chose to change the political status of Cancún.
Based on the official electoral count, voters voted in favor of changing territorial status by 80.2%–14.6%, and to confederate with the other El Norte territories as Bajaría by 73.1%–34.7%.
2021 Mérida status referendum
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| Location | Mérida | |
|---|---|---|
| Should Mérida continue its current crown dependency status? | ||
| Should Mérida confederate with the other El Norte territories as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Sierra? | ||
Mérida is one of the two crown dependencies in the Kingdom of Sierra and comprises the City of Mérida, including the former Mexican eponymous municipality, the Port of Mérida, and adjacent coastal communities. The territory was transferred to Sierra by the Mexican government in 1936, and was briefly occupied between 1942 and 1944 by the United Commonwealth. The territory was retroceded to Sierra and was later granted crown dependency status in 2004 after it was reclassified as a duchy.
Mérida features a multi-party system and has been divided over the political status of the territory. The right-leaning Liberal coalition includes a number of political parties which generally support either maintaining the status quo or provincehood, while the left-leaning Socialist coalition includes political parties which generally support independence or reunification with Mexico. The political status of Mérida has been commonly framed as a debate on Sierra's history of imperialism and the relationship it shared with its colonies, including Mérida.
Based on the official electoral count, voters voted in favor of changing territorial status by 74.6%–23.9%, and to confederate with the other El Norte territories as Bajaría by 80.8%–17.7%.
2021 Pacífico Norte status referendum
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| Location | Pacífico Norte | |
|---|---|---|
| Should Pacífico Norte continue its current crown dependency status? | ||
| Should Pacífico Norte confederate with the other El Norte territories as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Sierra? | ||
Pacífico Norte is one of the four territories in El Norte and comprises the northern half of the Baja California peninsula and the entirety of the historical Mexican state of Sonora. It is the only El Norte territory which shares borders with the federal Sierran mainland. It, alongside Pacífico Sur, were historically administered as the Mexican territory of Baja California before they were conquered and annexed by Sierra's predecessor, the California Republic, during the Mexican–American War.
Internationally, Pacífico Norte is recognized as Sierran territory, although it is treated together with Pacífico Sur as a distinct Latin American nation with their own national identity. Mexico has periodically disputed the legitimacy of Sierran sovereignty over Pacífico Norte, and objected to the referendums as a "sham".
The territory features a multiparty system, although the two most prominent parties are the Popular Front and the National Revitalization Movement. The former historically supported maintaining the territory's status quo but have since shifted its position towards further integration into Sierra, either as a province or a constituent country, whereas the latter has long supported enhancing the territory's status to that of a constituent country.
Based on the official electoral count, voters voted in favor of changing territorial status by 93.7%–6.0%, and to confederate with the other El Norte territories as Bajaría by 89.9%–7.8%.
2021 Pacífico Sur status referendum
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| Location | Pacífico Sur | |
|---|---|---|
| Should Pacífico Sur continue its current crown dependency status? | ||
| Should Pacífico Sur confederate with the other El Norte territories as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Sierra? | ||
Pacífico Sur is one of the four territories in El Norte and comprises the southern half of the Baja California peninsula. Like its northern neighbor, Pacífico Norte, the territory was acquired by military occupation by Sierra's predecessor state, the California Republic, during the Mexican–American War. It was officially ceded by Mexico to California through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
It is internationally recognized, together with Pacífico Norte, as simultaneously Sierran territory and a distinct Latin American nation with its own national identity. Its political status as a Sierran territory has been disputed intermittently by Mexico, which asserts that it and the rest of the El Norte territories remain sovereign Mexican lands. Pacífico Sur and the other El Norte territories are not listed on the LN's Dependent and Non-Self-Governing Colonies List, although they are still subject to Sierra's Insular Clause on territories.
Similar to its northern neighbor, Pacífico Sur has utilized a multiparty system which has been flanked by two major parties: the Revolutionary Democratic Party and the People's Power Party. The former has historically supported maintaining the status quo, but has since promoted either provincehood or constituent country status, while the latter historically supported reunification with North Mexico and then the modern state of Mexico, before dropping an official position in 2013 as its base leaned towards constituent country status.
Based on the official electoral count, voters voted in favor of changing territorial status by 69.3%–29.7%, and to confederate with the other El Norte territories as Bajaría by 65.5%–33.2%.