El Pacto de Plata ("The Silver Pact") was the cessation of hostilities between the government of United Mexican States and the La Sindicación ("La Sín"), who sought to seize full freedom from the Mexican state apparatus. The use of the word plata is a reminder of the alternative, plomo.
The pressures for this decision were multiple:
- After the brutal years of The Cartel Wars, Mexico appeared to be making progress against the cartels. But Formation of La Sindicación ("La Sín") means Mexico's struggle against the Cartels has likely become unwinnable;
- As the bottleneck to the global North, Mexico has dealt with the brunt of the Climate Refugee Crisis;
- The Formation of Nueva Zapata was in some senses a relief, as they now have a neighbor committed to the welfare of climate refugees. But the near-bloodless loss of territory is a signal of weakness that must be addressed. However, Mexican authorities prefer to paint the secession as a peaceful and magnanimous agreement.
Sensing an existential threat in La Sindicación ("La Sín"), Mexico has little choice but to reach an agreement, and the El Pacto de Plata is made. La Sin becomes a nearly coequal partner in the running of the country. Mexico ceases enforcing the US's drug embargo, which neighbor has little means to enforce it anymore.
The terms are generous, and ignored almost immediately by La Sin. They begin a reign of terror across Mexico that the government hopes non-involvement will ameliorate. Eventually they decide on Second Mexican-American War ("La Reconquista") as a pressure release valve. The Cartel's ranks have been massively swelled by Climate Refugees from Central America, so a retaking of Nueva Zapata would be massively unpopular. This leads to the sanction of Second Mexican-American War ("La Reconquista"), a way to make use of the Cartel's numbers, materiel & anger without making the Mexican populace suffer ever more.